


Tumblr fic dump

by moeblobmegane



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-09-29 19:38:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 151
Words: 155,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17209715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moeblobmegane/pseuds/moeblobmegane
Summary: tumblr might die so im putting everything here nowpairings are in the chapter titles





	1. reluctant coaching [rin-centric]

_“I’ve got Rin-chan!” Nagisa was jumping up and down as he dragged the frowning Rin towards the side of the Iwatobi Swimming Pool. Everyone around watched with wide eyes as Rin pushed Nagisa’s hand away, clearly annoyed. And yet, he didn’t run away or move towards the gate. He scratched the back of his neck, looking down with a slight tinge of a blush on his cheeks._

_“Rin…” Haru was obviously confused. His tone showed both shock and worry as he stared at his old friend. “Why…” He couldn’t even sound deadpan in this situation._

_Completing Haru’s question, Makoto stepped forward and asked, “Nagisa, why did you bring Rin-chan?” Seeing the smaller boy’s large smile, he can’t help but wonder what kind of plan he had in mind. Facing the annoyed Rin, he smiled apologetically. “Rin, I’m sorry if-”_

_“I didn’t force him! I really didn’t!” Nagisa’s smile was just so bright and happy that they couldn’t see any lies in it. He was honest to god just really happy about this. “I just called him over and he agreed!”_

_“He doesn’t look willing…” Rei, despite knowing now that Rin was not exactly a bad person and that the Iwatobi SC treasures him deeply, still does not trust this Samezuka guy at all. He’s brash and he made unnecessary, distasteful comments about Haru. Rei can’t find it in himself to fully like him. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and frowned. “If we’re being a bother, you should go back to Samezuka and-”_

_Rin’s right eye twitched, as if what Rei said was annoying him even more than Nagisa pulling his hand. “It’s you! It’s your fault I’m here!” He pointed an accusing finger at Rei._

_“Why would it be my fault?!” Rei’s eyes widened, surprise and annoyance mixing in because of the other guy’s outburst. “I didn’t ask you to come here!” Perhaps because he was taken in by the flow, he even forgot that they’re probably not close enough to fight like this._

_Nagisa was smiling much more widely as he watched the two, pride obvious in his eyes. Makoto, noticing this, walked towards his side and whispered, “Don’t tell me-”_

_Haru, also catching the drift, blankly pointed out his observation. “You’re worried about Rei?”_

_Rin’s eyes widened. “I- I’m not!” His ears grew red._

_Nagisa and Makoto couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his reaction. “Rinrin’s embarrassed!” Nagisa exclaimed, pointing unabashedly at his blushing friend. “It’s okay, Rinrin. We know you’re still a softie at heart.” Makoto added, smiling gently towards him._

_“No, shut up! Shut up! And don’t call me **that**!” Rin yelled, glaring at the two. He scratched the back of his neck again and sighed. “I give up. I can’t do this. I’m going home.”_

_Rei, who up until now was just staring in confusion at everyone, spoke up at last. “What do you mean worried?”_

_“I’m not worried!” Rin corrected once again, facing him with a deadly glare. “It’s just-” His fists clenched at both his sides as he spat out, “They deserve to have a great swimmer with them.” His voice was so soft they barely heard him. He looked up straight at Rei’s face and said, calmly this time, “You’re- I heard from Nagisa you only recently learned swimming but your diving form is close to perfect. You’ve studied up the theory, right?”_

_“Yes…” Rei really wasn’t sure where this was going. He still could hear Nagisa giggling like a schoolgirl at the side. “So…?”_

_“There’s only a month left before the competition. You need to have more endurance, obviously. Change your regimen to compensate.” Rin said. “And despite the theories, you need to find your **own kind**  of butterfly. There are things you need to factor in about your own body and your skills. Your legs are definitely powerful but your arms need more strength.”_

_Rei stared wide eyed at him. “What are you-”_

_“I’m trying to tell you how to improve so listen properly!” Rin shouted, his face a delightful mixture of embarrassed and irritated._

_Blinking slowly, Rei raised a hand as if reciting in class. “Could I… get a pen and paper for now?”_

_Nagisa, probably knowing this would happen, took out a notepad and pen from his pocket and offered it to Rei immediately. “Study hard, Rei-chan!”_

_“Sensei, what else do I need to do?” Rei completely changed expressions as he caught on. He looked at Rin in a completely different light. Rather than someone who he ‘replaced’, Rin was more like a senpai in his eyes now. A senpai who is just really worried about his former teammates, it seems. His expression and the others’ expression was proof enough of that mutual understanding. Despite their differences, if this Samezuka guy would be able to help him catch up to Haruka-senpai, he will listen properly and do his best._

_Rin narrowed his eyes at Rei and muttered, “Ugh, you’re just like Nagisa when we were younger…” Pulling him away from the amused looks of Nagisa and Makoto (Haru actually had the gall to smile a bit at his direction, that bastard), Rin sat on the other side of the pool. Rei followed suit. “First and foremost, I am **not** being kind to you nor am I your sensei. Don’t you dare call me that again.” He used his coldest voice._

_“Yes, senpai.” Rei nodded obediently._

_“Second, I understand admiring Haru but **don’t even think you can get to his level soon**. You’re just a newbie, okay? Don’t underestimate that dolphin boy. At this rate, you can’t even catch up to Nagisa. You probably don’t realize it but Nagisa has some weird power underneath all those smiles.” Rin was really serious when he said this but Rei couldn’t help but smile. “Wh-what?”_

_“You sound really fond of them.” He pointed out. Then, he added with a melancholic voice, “I’m not underestimating them. I feel like Haruka-senpai is someone I can only watch from the back. His swimming is really beautiful and no matter how hard I try, I can’t swim alongside him.”_

_Rin raised an eyebrow at that. Long ago, back when he first saw Haruka and realized that his heart was taken away by that beautiful swimming form, this was also what he thought. He thought Haruka was someone who swam so beautifully and that it was hard to catch up to him. Rin was so frustrated back then, and even now he still is. But Rei was a bit different. Rei admired Haruka and was simply entranced by that beauty. “Tsk,” He glanced at the other side of the pool, where Nagisa was still watching them and where Haru was getting ready to dive once again. “Have more confidence in yourself.” He muttered, as if talking to his old self._

_“Eh?” Rei was surprised by that soft tone Rin was using. He followed the other’s line of sight and saw Haruka diving in beautifully as usual._

_“Have more confidence.” Rin repeated, this time looking at Rei. “If you admire it that much, I need you to show me what you’ve got. Work harder than ever to be worthy of fighting the relay with them.”_

_Rei had a determined look on his face as he nodded._

_“Now swim 5 laps.Let’s see what you’ve got.”_

_“Yes!”_

_///_

_The first thing Gou noticed upon entering the swim club was Nagisa shouting “GO FOR IT, REI-CHAN!” as if Rei was fighting a battle just then. The next thing she noticed was Haruka-senpai who was **not**  swimming. That was really weird, no matter how she looked at it. Haruka, who gets agitated when they tell him not to swim, is actually intentionally not swimming. Wow. What’s happening?_

_Then she saw it. At the other end of the pool was her brother who was staring intently at Rei’s swimming form and shouting random instructions._

_“Brother?” She whispered under her breath, too shock to actually raise her voice._

_Noticing her, Nagisa pulled her back to the side where Rin can’t see her. “Ssshhh” He put his index finger on his lips. “Rin-chan might get more embarrassed.”_

_“What’s happening?” She asked, utterly confused._

_“I got us a guest coach!” He proudly exclaimed._

_Makoto, who noticed Nagisa missing, appeared on the side and smiled at Gou’s expression. “They’re really not that different, those two. I think Rin sees a bit of himself in Rei.”_

_“And he’s worried about us,” Nagisa added, a warm fond tone laced in his words. “Rinrin really hasn’t changed much.”_

_“Brother…” Gou couldn’t help but smile, looking at Rin’s direction. “I’m so glad…”_

_////_

_Gou did end up walking in when Rin and Rei were talking seriously at the side. She crept up quietly at the side with Nagisa and Makoto. Haruka was back in the swimming pool. The sun was almost setting and so they would have to pack up soon._

_Rei and Rin finally finished talking (with Rei nodding profusely while writing notes on his notebook and Rin sighing tiredly while watching him). Upon turning back to them, Rin immediately noticed his sister. “Gou!”_

_“Onii-chan!” Her smile was both happy and teasing, something that made Rin scowl and blush at the same time. “Nice to see you here.” She added, grinning as her brother got closer._

_“It’s not what you think.” He glared at her._

_“Yes, I’m sure it’s not.” Gou simply nodded dismissively, giggling to herself. Then, looking at her wristwatch, she walked over to the edge of the pool. “Haruka-senpai, it’s time to go.”_

_He looked up at her, a slight frown on his face. He then looked at Rin and narrowed his eyes._

_“Fine.” Rin sighed once again, completely understanding the 'It’s all your fault’ being said to him through Haruka’s eyes. “I can ask for permission to let you swim until 6 in our pool. But just until 6! Happy?”_

_Haruka nodded. Makoto laughed a bit at that. “At least you’re getting better at understanding each other.” He said as he offered Haru his hand. Accepting the offered hand, Haruka got out of a pool and looked at his other teammates. “We should all come.”_

_Nagisa smiled widely and nodded. “Rinrin, we can go, right?”_

_Rin groaned, regretting all his choices. “Anyone but Nagisa, please.”_

_“What?” Nagisa pouted, wide eyes staring at Rin just like 5 years ago. And just like all those years ago, Rin can’t say no. Nagisa really is a frightful guy._

_“Fine.” He flicked his fingers at Nagisa’s forehead just for the sake of it. The younger boy pouted some more while massaging his forehead before smiling widely at him. “And you, Rei,” He looked at the bespectacled guy sharply. “Make sure to do what I said.”_

_To everyone, it was an open invitation to join them as well. “Yes!” Rei smiled widely._

_“Good job today, Leader.” Haruka said as he passed by Rin._

_A dark tint of red covering his whole face, Rin glared at Haruka’s back and shouted “Don’t call me that!”_


	2. rin ran ren [makorin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> written during the first season

It was supposed to be a normal day of training for Rin. Supposedly, he would run 4 kilometers before going back to Samezuka to train. He even asked for the captain’s permission to let him run through Iwatobi. It was quite a harsh training he had in mind.

“You’re Rin, right? Rin? I’m Ran! This is Ren! Rinrin sounds like you’re our triplet!!!”

/This/ was not what he had in mind. “Makoto,” He narrowed his eyes as Makoto smiled at him. “I’m going to-”

“You’re going? Already? You should swim here! I heard from Onii-chan that you’re in a swim club too!” Ran prodded on, wide eyes staring right at his soul.

It was the Nagisa-syndrome affecting him once again. Rin thinks he really should be stronger than this. “I can’t swim here. I’ve got practice.” He actually sounded polite just then. To a pair of elementary twins, to boot. Makoto’s smile continued shining at the side.

“Did- did you swim with Haru'nii-san too?” Ren was the one who spoke up this time.

Rin raised an eyebrow. “I did. I defeated him.”

Eyes widening, Ren stepped forward and stared at him. “You did? But Haru'nii-san is the best! No one can beat him!”

Smirking a bit, he chuckled. “Well, I did. So I guess he’s not the best.”

“HE IS!” All the shyness and quietness disappeared as Ren pouted and yelled at Rin defiantly. “Haru'nii-san won’t lose to anyone!”

Giggling a bit, Ran patted her brother on the back to calm him down then looked at Rin with a smile. “I’m sorry. My brother kind-of really like Haru'nii-san so…”

Rin was torn between laughing or being surprised. “Heh…” He ended up smiling anyway as he watched Ren blush a delightful shade of red. “So you do…” The thought of this little boy being captured by Haruka’s spell just like everyone else amuses him to no end. He kneeled down and patted him on the head. “I’m sorry for badmouthing your beloved Haru'nii-san.” Despite the apology, it was obvious he was just teasing the younger boy.

“I- I don’t!” Ren exclaimed, pushing Rin’s hand away and looking down. His face was as red as a tomato by now. “I don’t…”

Rin strangely sees himself in this young boy and the thought makes him both laugh and feel uncomfortable at the same time.

“Ren is similar to Rin-chan, isn’t he?” Makoto said, as if he just read Rin’s mind just then.

“Shut up, Makoto.” Rin spat, glaring at the taller guy who still had that irritatingly happy smile on his face.

“Don’t speak like that to onii-chan!” Ran crossed her arms. “You should listen to nii-san, okay?”

Rin frowned. Makoto couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re being accepted as their triplet now, little brother.” He said, nudging Rin with his elbow while laughing.

“Don’t.” Rin growled under his breath. “I swear. Makoto.”

“What was that, Rinrin?” He continued laughing quietly, enjoying how annoyed Rin was being.

“MA. KO. TO!!!”


	3. domesticity [makoharurin]

**[Realization]**

_Rin was confused._ He raced with them fair and square, numerous times even. He had his share of victories just as they had. It’s been a year since he came back, but it was the same. The ache in his heart slowly dulled into a small whisper of hurt, yet it was still there. It repeatedly reminded him that he was not completely happy. There was something missing, something he has not yet grasped. He was moving forward at a slow-crawl. It was frustrating. What should he do to make a big step forward?

If winning wouldn’t solve his problems, what else is there to do?

“Maybe you’re just too proud to admit that you  _love_  us.” Nagisa said in a singsong tone as he plopped down beside him on the floor. It was an informal visit to the Samezuka gym; with just Nagisa, Gou and Rei. The other two were currently conversing with Nitori and the captain for some reason. And this blonde, wide-eyed kohai insisted on sitting with him as they waited for practice to start.

Rin glared at him for a second before glancing back to the pool. “Bullshit.” He muttered under his breath, not even in the mood to respond properly to his teasing.

The younger boy laughed. “Oh but it’s true, right? You’re just too shy to admit it~” He elbowed his side while grinning knowingly. “You’ve improved a lot, but you’re still in denial! You need to man up and face your feelings!” A soft expression settled on his face as he waited for Rin’s reaction.

Sighing tiredly, he turned to look at Nagisa. Before he could retort though, he noticed Nagisa’s expression. It was not teasing or amused anymore. He looked serious, wide eyes quietly begging him. “Nagisa…” He knew that look. After being  _friends_  with them again, he noticed this particular change in Nagisa. It was a sure sign of maturity. Those eyes weren’t just naive and childish anymore; they had a good amount of wisdom. “What does that even mean?” He spat out, still confused and frustrated and angry at himself.

“It means you have to think of how Haru-chan and Mako-chan changed you and how you changed them. It means you have to think of what you want your future to look like.” Nagisa’s voice was soft and warm, like a comfortable blanket wrapping Rin in its safety. “It means you have to face it once and for all.” Tilting his head to the right, he asked, “What do you want? Who do you want to stay by your side?”

Rin gritted his teeth. That sounded awfully wise from someone who jumps around the pool on a daily basis. He knew he had to think about things properly soon. He did not expect Nagisa, of all people, to actually push him towards it though. “You know what I want,” was his quiet answer.

“You can want to reach your dreams but still want to have your most important people beside you.” Nagisa replied, smiling warmly. “It’s not selfish.”

“You’re sounding more and more like Makoto,” was Rin’s only response to that. He saw only truth in those words, and he knew it was time to accept it. He had to stop caging himself and making himself suffer. The way to be free was to unchain the shackles he put on himself.

Turning back to his usual demeanor, Nagisa giggled and stretched his arms up. “I learned from the best, didn’t I?” He caught sight of Gou and Rei waving at him. “Ah, and Rin-chan,” He grinned playfully. “I know you’re a romantic, but loving two people equally is not really all that bad.” He stuck out his tongue at Rin’s incredulous expression before rushing over to the other side where his friends were waiting. The two welcomed him with bright, beautiful smiles.

Watching them with narrowed eyes, Rin muttered “Don’t you dare touch my sister, you brat.”

 

**[Start]**

“Rin, this is just not normal.” Makoto urged, stepping back as Rin stepped forward towards him. He glanced at Haruka who was watching the scene with an expression showing interest. “Haru, tell him-”

A smirk appeared on Rin’s face, knowing full well that Haru would just shrug off and not help Makoto at all. “We both agreed you should just accept it.”

“A-accept what?” Makoto stuttered, stepping one last time and feeling the cold wall against his back. Rin was so,  _so close._ “Rin, Haru…”

“That you love us both. That we both love you.” Rin said arrogantly.

“Rin, calm down. Maybe we’re just confused… This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.” Despite seriously trying to convince Rin, Makoto’s voice softened per word. The red-haired boy kept on leaning forward until their faces were merely inches apart. “Rin, we can’t-”

Cold lips on warm lips. All of the tension in Makoto’s body slipped away as his eyes widened.  _Rin was kissing him._

 _“_ I don’t think you should deny us any longer.” Rin whispered, breath fanning Makoto’s lips. “I know exactly what that expression is.” He smiled almost gently as he stepped back. “That’s always my expression when I wanted to swim with you guys.”

Haruka was somehow beside them now. Perhaps he walked forward while Rin was kissing Makoto. “Makoto…” His eyes were bright as he stepped forward just beside Rin. “It’s okay. Just let it be.” A soft rarely-seen smile graced his lips as he placed a gentle hand on Makoto’s cheek. Slowly, he leaned forward and gave the taller boy a quick kiss. “Let’s live together; the three of us.” He placed his forehead against the other boy’s. “Makoto…”

Unable to resist anymore after all of that, he sighed. “Okay. You win.”


	4. rin-centric s1 episode 12 coda

“I want to see it”

Rin stared incredulously at Rei who was looking at him with all the seriousness in the world. “Huh?”

“I want to see what it looked like when you transferred.” Rei pushed his glasses the usual way and then nodded to himself. “I’m curious.”

Nagisa’s eyes were wide and pleading when he stepped forward and practically invaded Rin’s personal space. “Me too! I saw how you introduced in the Swim Club~ I wanna see it in class! Rinrin was super cute!”

Rei smiled to himself and chuckled, as if he was telepathically planning something evil with Nagisa. “Rin-san, show us that sight!”

“Ugh, Rei,  _shut up_.” Rin groaned but walked over to the classroom anyway. He opened the door and stepped forward before glancing back to the two. “What are you waiting for? Students should be in before the transfer student.”

Smiling at each other for a second, they both nodded. “We’re coming!” But just as Rei went inside the room, Nagisa stopped and grinned. “Ah, I’m going to call Haru-chan and Mako-chan.”

“NO.” Rin ran to his side and gripped his wrist. “No.”

Rei laughed. “Rin-san, I’m sure Haruka-senpai would want to see it again.”

“No.” Rin insisted. “I’m just indulging  _you_ , Rei. Haru does not need to see this.”

“What don’t I have to see?” came a voice from outside the classroom.

“Haru-chan!” Nagisa’s face positively brightened upon seeing Haruka and Makoto walking in the classroom. “We’re playing pretend! What if Rin transferred to Iwatobi~ that kind of set-up!”

“That’s not what we agreed on!” Rin exclaimed, frowning deeply.

Nagisa stared him in the eyes with those large eyes and pouted. “Please?”

Rin’s frown deepened even more. Rei walked over to them and looked at him with the same pleading expression. Rin’s eyebrows furrowed. How the hell is this even fair? These guys are too good at this. “Fine.” He spat out begrudgingly. “I’ll do it.”


	5. makoharurin

“It’s crazy!” Makoto exclaimed, eyes wide and showing how against the idea he was. “I’m not fit for that at all! Rin-chan, tell those people!”

Rin laughed a bit, placing down his new mackerel dish in front of the two. “It does seem pretty off for Makoto to become a  _model._  You’re perfect in your HR job already, since you take care of everyone and all.”

“Hmmm…” Haru picked up his chopsticks and held it up like that for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought. “Makoto’s tall.” He absentmindedly commented.

“Haru!” Makoto furrowed his eyebrows. “It’s not a matter of height. I’m nowhere near those models.”

To this, it was Rin’s turn to frown. “Huh?!”

“Eh?” Makoto looked at Rin in surprise, not expecting him to suddenly get angry at his honest opinion. “But it’s true, right?”

Rin raised an eyebrow. “Makoto, you’re not just tall. You have a great body,”

Makoto blushed as Rin smirked (even Haru was smiling by now). “But-”

“-and you have the most beautiful smile that we’ve ever seen.” Rin finished, leaning over to Makoto to place a quick peck to his cheek. “It’s okay if you don’t want to be a model, but don’t ever think like that again.”

Haru nodded a bit, and upon Rin’s prodding (Haru’s leg was already hurting because Rin kept on kicking him under the table), he leaned as well and kissed Makoto’s other cheek. “The only reason why Rin doesn’t want you to take the job is because he doesn’t want everyone to see your body.” He smirked at the other boy.

The redhead glared at him (his face was almost the same shade as his hair) and spat out a  _“Shut up, Haru!”_

Makoto laughed at the two and promptly placed his arms around both their shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’m all yours.”


	6. makoharurin

Rin was, despite everyone’s initial image of him,  _very clingy_. He would text a lot and send voice mails to Makoto and Haru whenever he was gone for long periods of time. He was also the one who remembered special dates best. All of their birthdays, even their goldfish’ birthday, was listed in his mind. That also included special occasions… like the anniversary of them moving in together.

He never forgets to remind them too.

The day before their ‘anniversary’, Rin was still in Tokyo for a competition. Makoto had pulled Haru to go shopping with him, to make sure they welcome Rin back tomorrow with the most special celebration. Besides, Makoto wanted to find the perfect gift too. He’s always been thankful of Rin’s help (he was, after all, the reason why they all live together now).

“Ah!” Makoto grinned as a great idea hit him. “How about you draw something for him and let’s buy a frame? We could place it on the bedroom. Rin-chan would love that.”

“Hm.” Haru vaguely nodded and walked towards the art supplies store.

 

~*~

 

Rin cried. That was his first reaction. After eating the dinner Haruka cooked (that was  _not_ mackarel), and then receiving a beautiful scarf from the two, he was sure they had nothing else to surprise him with. But then they pushed him towards the bedroom (“why are you so excited all of a sudden?”), and he saw a framed canvass above their head.

He cried. Because it was the most beautiful thing he could ever receive.

He cried because everything about it screamed HARU and MAKOTO. It was them all over. The stylish and the beautiful pattern on the frame…

And that drawing. It was a cherry blossom tree, and beside it was a pool full of cherry blossoms. At the side of the pool was Makoto and Haru, smiling and offering their hand to a young Rin who was submerged in the water.

He cried because he felt loved and important. He felt like every hardship was definitely worth it if it was for this moment. He felt like all the decisions, both stupid and smart, brought him here in between these two beautiful beings. And he just felt eternally grateful that they love him too (that they still love him even after all this time).  _“Thank you.”_


	7. reigisa / reirin (/makorin?)

“Rei-chan’s been spending too much time with Rinrin.” Nagisa whispered to the other two as they watched Rei smile at his phone and reply to a message Rin had sent him a few minutes ago. “It’s…” He pouted, not really sure how to explain the heavy feeling inside him.

Makoto placed a hand on his shoulder in a soothing way. “Isn’t it good they’re close now? Rin-chan’s teaching him about the butterfly stroke.”

“ _I know_. Rei-chan won’t stop talking about how  **beautiful**  Rinrin is when swimming.” Nagisa grumbled.

“It’s nice that they’re friends now.” Makoto argued gently, trying to make Nagisa see how this is not a bad situation at all. “We get to swim together more like this, right?”

“It’s just like Rin to do something like this. Let him be.” Haruka spoke up for the first time.

“But aren’t you curious about what they do when they meet after practice?! Why would they even meet so often?” Nagisa was still pouting like a child. “Rei-chan won’t ride the train home with me anymore because he  _has a meeting with Rin-chan-san._ Mou…” He eyed Rei who was still smiling at his phone as the screen lit up once again. Another message. Was Rin actually that close to him? “I’ve decided! I’m going to spy on them!”

—

Haruka glared at the two as Nagisa hid behind a wall with Makoto beside him. “Why-” He wanted to ask why they had to be here but decided against it. There was no helping it. Nagisa had a way with them. He always wins.

“See! They’re meeting inside a cafe! Isn’t that a date?!” Nagisa exclaimed, crossing his arms with a huff.

“You’re jumping into conclusions too easily!” Makoto tried to calm him down. “Maybe they’ll-” He watched as the two happily chose some food from the menu and laughed with each other. “It’s good that they’re so close… right?” He wasn’t really sure why he felt a bit sad while watching them too. They looked really close. Really.

“Makoto,” Haruka, who was watching the scene with narrowed eyes as well, walked forward ahead of the two and said, “Let’s go inside.” Even he felt something was off. They’ve seen Rin and have hung out with him some times but Rei has been going with Rin to ‘practice’ for a few days each week already. Somehow, Haruka wanted to know why they couldn’t have met with the five of them. What are they talking about? They don’t look like they’re talking about the theories of butterfly swimming.

—

“Haru,” Rin looked up to see Haruka, Makoto and Nagisa looking at him with serious eyes. He immediately glanced at Rei who was already blushing and panicking upon seeing the three. He wanted to laugh at the situation. And at how cute Rei was being. It’s not like he had to hide this, anyway. Rin knew it was embarrassing for them to find out, but the others would probably be touched to hear it. They were that kind of people. “Makoto, Nagisa. What are you guys doing here?”

“We were just passing by when we saw you.” Makoto lied. It was always obvious when Makoto lied. He was too pure and nice for something like that. Besides, Rin could read the way he looked at the two of them repeatedly as if he didn’t want to believe what he was seeing. Rin secretly loved the idea of Makoto being jealous one way or another.

“What are you doing here?” Nagisa asked, looking at Rei with eyes full of suspicion. “I thought you would train some more. There’s no pool around here.”

This time, Rin really laughed. So Rei has been using that excuse, huh? “Why don’t you tell them, Rei?”

Haruka narrowed his eyes at Rin, thinking 'first name basis?’ with the same level of suspicion as the other two. “Tell what?” He asked instead.

“Haven’t we been meeting here a lot?” Rin grinned at Rei who gulped in fear.

“Rei-chan…” Nagisa looked like he was about to use the fatal weapon 'I’m-going-to-cry-because-of-you’ expression.

“I’m sorry, Nagisa!” Rei exclaimed, standing up and bowing down. Rin wanted to burst into laughter because Rei was really an interesting guy and Nagisa obviously liked him more than Rei realizes.

Nagisa frowned. “Why are you saying sorry?”

“I-” Rei looked down. “I asked Rin-senpai about the relay and then he told me about how you wanted to swim butterly, so we ended up meeting a lot to talk about what happened when you guys were in elementary. I kept asking Rin-senpai about it and he said I could ask anything so…”

The three blinked in confusion. Nagisa was the first one to speak. “You were asking about  _us_? About  _me_?” His eyes widened before he hopped over to Rei’s side and proceeded to hug him. “Rei-chan~”

“Eh? Eh? You’re not angry?” Rei seemed completely taken aback by this. “Aren’t you angry I was sneakily asking for private information?”

Makoto laughed. “You don’t have to put it that way. You wanted to know us more, and we’re happy you want that.”

Haruka smiled a bit. “You should have just asked us.”

“He was too embarrassed, this kiddo.” Rin explained. “You should have seen how excited he was when he heard about Nagisa swimmingthat weird grasshopper-style stroke.”

“It was  _butterfly,_ stupid Rinrin!” Nagisa said, laughing nonetheless. “Ah~ I got so worried for nothing! I thought Rinrin was taking away Rei-chan from me.”

“Eh?” Rei obviously did not understand that sentence. The other three laughed and settled down into the booth alongside the two.

Makoto, sighing in relief, muttered “I thought for a moment Rin-chan just wanted to be friends with Rei now.”

Rin grinned victoriously upon hearing that. “You were honestly jealous?”

“He was just worried.” Haru almost rolled his eyes at Rin’s obvious baiting.

Not being put off at all, Rin then asked “And you were, too?”

Before Haru could answer, Nagisa exclaimed, “He was! He really was! He said 'Makoto, let’s go inside’ with this serious face.” He said the last part while imitating Haruka’s blank expression.

Rin and Rei burst out laughing at the same time.

—

Since then, they ended up meeting up every once in a while in that cafe to talk about their lives. With the five of them (with the occasional Nitori, Gou and Mikoshiba tagging along), they were able to finally stay in touch.

This was the start of the friendship of these five.


	8. harurin

“ _But I don’t understand you and I try so hard and yet-_ ” Rin shouts in anger, lashes out with tears in his eyes. Because it’s always this way. It’s always been this way. And he’s so,  _so_  tired of not being able to understand Haru. “ _And yet Makoto-_ ”

Haru looks at him with eyes full of emotions, eyes he doesn’t show others. “Makoto’s always been with me,” was his answer. It was that, right? Makoto understands him because they grew up together. Makoto understands him because he was the type of person who would always listen. Makoto understands him because he was Haruka’s best friend. “But Rin, you’re my-”

Rin looks at him, stops sobbing. He just stares at Haru, and watches as he walks closer and place a gentle hand on his cheek. He watches as Haru wipes his tears. “I’m sorry,” He quietly says then, calming down finally. “I’m sorry I’m no good.” He moves forward and hugs Haru tightly, clinging on him and trying to make him feel just how much he needs the boy. “I’m sorry I don’t understand you enough.”

“You don’t have to read my mind.” Haru replies, smiling a bit. He places a hand on Rin’s back as a comforting gesture. “You’re here now, right?” That’s really all he needs. Because Rin tries so hard in everything, even in his relationship with Haru. He constantly asks Haru about his life, and he asks Gou and the others about the club. He visits Haru all the time. He brings Haru out to different places. He makes Haru swim competitions he wouldn’t usually swim in. He makes Haru do things he wouldn’t usually do. That’s what Rin was to Haru. He makes Haru reach out to things he never thought he wanted. He makes Haru  _dream. **“**_ **Having you here is enough.”**


	9. Paint My Love [HaruRin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> drabbles

  * Haruka was never the talker. Despite his improvement, despite being able to show more emotions, he still never said exactly what he was feeling. Of course, Rin was worried. He wasn’t that good at reading Haruka’s mind (he tries, but he’s no Makoto). He was worried of whether Haruka really had fun with him.

Perhaps sensing this, Haru found his own way of reassuring Rin. He was not touchy, nor did he want to force himself to speak. So instead…

“What’s this?” Rin asked, eyebrow raised as he stared at the drawing of a happy dolphin on his arm.

“Just something.” He shrugged.

 

  * Rin reads shoujo manga. Rin wasn’t embarrassed and even swapped manga with Nagisa before. But of course now that they were older, he never brings it up anymore. Sometimes though, Haruka would catch him tearing up while reading a certain manga. Rin would excuse himself and hide the manga under his pillow as he runs to the bathroom to recompose himself.

“Haru!” A few days later, Rin runs up to him and hugs him with a huge smile on his face.

“What?”

“Thank you for drawing a good ending” He grins as he proudly takes out the doujinshi Haru painstakingly did for him.

 

  * Haru picks fine arts as his major, mainly because he was good at it and it was not a bother. He was also left alone when he had to make his assignments, something he really needed. For his final piece for a certain subject, he was asked to “draw something that keeps you going”. The only answer he could think of was [Water].

He went to the beach and placed his canvass at the side, thinking of how best to draw it.  _Something’s missing_ , he thinks.

Suddenly, Rin rises up from the waves and smiles up at him. “Oh! Haru!”

_Oh._

_There. Better_.





	10. From the Pages of Matsuoka Rin's diary 1

**[2008.02.13]**

Dear Dad,

I won in a race today! It’s really fun swimming in a competition, isn’t it? The feel of the water when swimming at full-speed is really good!

Ah! And I saw an interesting guy today. He had blue hair and blue eyes and he swam faster than me in 100m freestyle. I think his name was Nanase Haruka? Heh. He has a girly name too. And he’s really interesting! When swimming, he has the most relaxed expression. He looks really beautiful… but when I went to them after they finished the race (he had a friend with him), he scowled and looked so bored! What a weird guy! Can’t he just smile a bit? They said he was the fastest in Iwatobi though. He swims really,  _really fast._  He’s amazing. Kinda like you, right?

That makes me sooooo happy. A strong guy like that will be waiting for me in my next school! Ohoho~ Yeaaaah, mom said I could transfer to Iwatobi Elem for my final year. It was my last wish before going to Australia~ I’m really excited!!! I hope I make a lot of friends~

 

**[2008.04.05]**

Dear Dad,

My transfer was a success! There were lots of cool people in class and I gained lots and lots of friends! My first day was a blast! Oh, and surprisingly, that Haru kid and his friend Makoto were both in my class. They called me out during lunch and at first I got really nervous… But Mako seems like a really good person and he was nice to me. That Haru still frowned so much. I wonder if something’s wrong with his face? He never smiles! And he even glared at me! I wonder if he’s angry about something? I hope he’s not  _that_ angry _._ I want to swim with him again!

 

**[2008.04.10]**

Dear Dad,

Waaah… Haru and Mako are both in my Swimming Club too. Isn’t that a great coincidence? It’s awesome, right?! Must be fate!!! I wonder if you’re giving me a sign? Maybe they really should be part of my best team. They’re both really good. Besides, Mako has been nothing but welcoming towards me. He really worries a lot but that’s what makes him so nice. But I’m not yet sure about his swimming skills…

I’m sure about Haruka though. He’s really amazing! I saw him swim earlier and… He’s too good at it. That stroke… It was beautiful. I felt my heart skip a beat. I can’t stop thinking about it. I wonder what feeling this is? I really want to swim with him more!

I’ll definitely get him to join my team!


	11. From the Pages of Matsuoka Rin's Diary 2

**[2008.04.27]**

Dear Dad,

I met another strange kid today. His name is Nagisa Hazuki. He keeps on clinging on Nanase. And the strange thing is, Nanase doesn’t push him away. Rather, he looks like he’s spoiling that blonde kid! Woaaaah. So he had that side too? What a discovery.

Ah! And that Nagisa? He asked me to teach him how to swim butterfly. Ohoho! He must have seen how good I was, right? He has good eyes ^u^

As for his swimming… rather than butterfly, it looks more like a grasshopper stroke. It’s an all-new kind of stroke ;~; I wonder if it’s useless? He doesn’t learn through theory either. He needs to remember the feeling through his body. I wonder if I could teach him right…

 

**[2008.05.04]**

Dear Dad,

Somehow, Nagisa decided to swim the breast stroke for the relay. And he said he won’t give up until I agree. More than anything, I’m sure he just wants to swim to be together with Nanase. I do understand his feeling, but I really want this to be the best team. I’m still not sure about his swimming skills. Besides, he said he wanted to learn the butterfly stroke! Augh, my head hurts from thinking about it…

There’s an upside to this though. Nanase probably would agree to join the relay if I could get both Nagisa and Makoto into the team. Oh! I talked to Makoto earlier. He’s easy to talk to, and he understands my intentions well, I think. He asked me why I wanted to do the relay… For a moment, I thought I could tell him. But it’s not yet time, right? I’ll tell them once we’ve settled into the team. I’m glad he listened to me though. What a good person… I understand now why Nanase sticks by him.

I hope I convince Nanase soon!

 

**[2008.05.18]**

Dear Dad,

I did it! I finally convinced Nanase to join me! Well… mostly it was Nagisa who did it, but still it’s fine as long as we’re finally a team! Ah, Nagisa swam the breast stroke today and he won in the race. There’s something about his swimming that I can’t quite point out. It’s not as beautiful as Nanase’s, but it had something to it. The way his hands moved during the last half made me think he was superhuman. That’s an awesome skill, right? And he doesn’t even understand it! It’s just programmed in his body. Man, swimming with Nagisa would be really fun from now on. I’ll be sure to take note of everything so he could improve his time. I really do want to help him. He’s kind of like a little brother to me now. He even acts like Gou sometimes.

Makoto switched to Backstroke for the relay. And I think it’s the best idea. He swims faster and he doesn’t look as scared. That uneasy feeling I have whenever I saw him swimming before, it’s almost gone now. I’m not really sure why, but that guy worries me. A lot.

As for Nanase… I still can’t stop thinking about his swimming. Everyday I see him swim and it really disorients me. How can someone be so beautiful? And yet when he gets out of the water, he immediately scowls at me! Ah, but recently we started jogging together and I think he’s warming up to me now…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #dear dead dad i think im gay


	12. makorin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> written as an immediate reaction to seeing ship hate on the makorin tag, which was at the time the only pure place in the fandom

Rin, no.” Makoto weakly said, crossing his arms as he watched Rin cut the vegetables into smaller pieces. “I know what you’re doing.”

Rin blinked innocently at him. “Huh?”

“You can’t plan our meals. You can’t make Ren and Ran run with you. It’s too obvious what you’re planning.” Makoto frowned worriedly. “Ren and Ran has no plans on being athletes and especially not joining the 2020 olympics, okay?” He wasn’t usually this strict, and he lets Rin do whatever he wants to do. But bringing in Ren and Ran is no good. Makoto treasures his siblings more than anything, and he wants them to have freedom to choose what they want in life.

“What…” Rin raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

Before Makoto could explain his thoughts more, Ren and Ran came running from the living room. “Rin'nii-chan! Why is it vegetables  _again_? Even mom don’t cook it all the time!” Ren pouted and looked at Rin with a pitiful expression. “Yeah! We’re fine now, okay? We’re not gonna catch that stupid flu you’re so worried about.” Ran added, sporting the same expression as Ren.

“Eh…? A flu epidemic?” Makoto stared at Rin. “You were worried?”

Rin looked back at the pot, his cheeks reddening slightly. “Your parents are on that trip so I just wanted to cook something. That’s all. I wasn’t worried at all.” He muttered, stirring a bit too quickly as if panicking. “The dorms doesn’t let us cook so I thought I should practice so-”

Makoto laughed. “So you were worried… Thank you, Rin.”

_“I told you I wasn’t worried!”_


	13. makorin (ft. ran)

“Wh-what?” Makoto’s bag fell down the floor as he stared at Rin with wide eyes. He was sitting on the dining area with a tea set in front of him, his hair tied up in messy little pigtails. A bright pink blanket was around him and you could see sparkling designs on it. “Rin…”

Hearing that voice, Rin immediately stood up and scrambled around to take everything away, and in the process got his hair tangled up while he tripped on the blanket. “Ugh…” He buried his head on his arms, not even having the strength to stand up from that utter fail. “Please just walk away and return in 5 minutes.” He said, voice muffled.

Makoto smiled kindly and knelt down. “Was it Ran?” He asked, placing a gentle hand on Rin’s hair to tug the ponytail off. “I’m sorry. She seems so attached to you so…”

“It’s okay…” Rin said. “She’s a good kid. I just didn’t know you’ll be home so early.”

He sounded like he was a sulking kid and Makoto couldn’t help but chuckle at how cute he was. “It’s really cute though… Ah, I mean when you tie your hair up. Like when you were in that training camp before.”

“Don’t call a guy  _cute_!” Rin exclaimed, peeking at him before slowly sitting up. “And I told you, just go to your room for 5 minutes. I’ll clean up. Ran is at her room, getting some dolls for playmates or something.”

Makoto shook his head lightly, an almost playful smile on his face. “I want to help.” He leaned closer and tugged the band out. Just one left. “It’s hard to take these out, right? You might hurt yourself. Ran is pretty clumsy with these things.”

Rin shivered at his touch. “I’m fine. Really.”

“Don’t worry. I’m an expert at this.” He whispered, too close for comfort at this point.

His blush deepened. “Makoto!”

The taller boy chuckled. “Hm?”

“You’re doing this on purpose!” Rin complained, glaring at him.

Laughing some more, Makoto asked “Was I that obvious?” He was too cute that Rin really didn’t have it in him to get angry. “It was because Rin was being too cute.”

“I told you don’t call a guy cute!”

Before Makoto could say anything, the door opened and an enthusiastic Ran hopped in. “Eh? Nii-chan, why are you taking off those?” She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms.

“Eh but Rin doesn’t like-” Makoto was about to answer when Rin sat up straight and shook his head while saying “He’s just going to fix it! Le-let’s play, Ran. I really like it.”

Ran’s whole face lit up. “Un!”

Makoto chuckled. “You spoil her too much.”

“Shut up.” Rin spat out, looking away. “Now, fix it.”


	14. jealous makoto [makorin]

Makoto overhears a certain conversation that makes him rethink about his feelings for a certain red-haired friend.

“Isn’t Rin coming over?” Makoto wondered out loud as he checked his sister’s homework. One way or the other, Rin playing with the twins or helping him with his homework has become the norm here lately. They never really planned it but the twins would insist that Makoto call Rin or that Rin stays for dinner… events like that happened all the time until the two got used to it. “Did he mention anything, Ran?”

Ran looked up from writing on her notebook. “Ah… Did you forget, nii-chan?” She smiled. “Rin'nii said he’ll go to the airport today because his best friend is visiting from Tokyo.”

“Ah, yes. Sousuke-kun’s flight is today.” He sighed, sounding disappointed. He shook his head then, trying to rid of those unpleasant feelings. It’s not like Rin won’t come next time, right? Besides, he didn’t promise them anything! He’ll go when he wants to. Of course Sousuke’s flight is more important! They rarely see each other, after all!

“Nii-chan, you’re frowning… Is something wrong with my homework?” Ran looked up at him with wide eyes.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, no.” He patted her head. “It’s nothing.”

**—-**

“It’s been a week…” Ran sulked at the side, playing with her pink tea cup she would always offer Rin when he came over. “Have you seen Rin'nii?”

Makoto frowned. On the first place, they weren’t in the same school. Rin was always the one who went here. Makoto didn’t even know if it was alright to go there in his dorm. All he could do is leave messages on his phone and hope he replies. As of now, the only message he got was “I’m sorry. Been helping Sousuke out on some things. Tell Ran I’m sorry.” Makoto honestly wanted to sulk himself.  _“Tell Ran I’m sorry”_? He wasn’t even thinking of– “Wait.” Makoto stared at the floor in thought. What was he thinking? Rin was free to hang out with whoever he likes! He was being nice by calling and saying sorry to Ran! There was nothing wrong with that! It’s not like he promised Makoto to help him with his English homework or anything! “That’s just my own assumption…” He whispered to himself.

  
“Nii-chan?” Ran walked to his side. “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head. “Rin said he’s sorry he can’t play with you. Sousuke-kun is asking him to go to lots of places so he’s really busy.”

She pouted but nodded anyway. “I hope he finishes soon, ne? Onii-chan really misses him too, right?”

Makoto gently smiled. “Un. I really miss him.”

**—-**

When two weeks passed by, Makoto was starting to doubt Rin’s reason. “What if he just got tired of going to our place and helping me out so he’s using Sousuke-kun as-”

Nagisa sighed and patted him on the back. “Maybe that’s it.” He nodded.

“Nagisa-kun!” Rei exclaimed, obviously against the idea. “Rin-senpai won’t do something like that! He loves you… um  _all of you_  a lot. So trust in him.”

“But Sousuke is his best friend, isn’t he?” Nagisa grinned at Rei, as if proving his point. “Maybe he just likes Sousuke more than Mako-chan.”

“Nagisa-kun, you’re not helping!” Rei yelled. “Makoto-senpai, you should talk to Rin-senpai directly…”

Makoto nodded. “You’re right. Thanks, Rei-chan.” He walked back to the clubroom to get his back. He was sure now. He’s going to Samezuka.

“What did you do that for, Nagisa-kun?” Rei asked, voice showing that tone of complaint. “You know exactly what this is about, right?”

Nagisa shrugged, laughing. “But Mako-chan doesn’t understand his own feelings yet! I thought I’d give him a little push! Poor Rinrin’s working so hard~”

  
“I guess you’re right.” Rei sighed. “I hope it ends well for them.”

**—-**

Makoto looked at the building in front of him. The one where they got caught for sneaking in. This time, he would go in like a normal visitor. Alone. He sighed, nervousness reaching an all-time high. He stepped forward, noticing the slight shaking of his leg.

“Are you… Hm, Makoto Tachibana?” A voice called out from behind.

He turned back to see an unfamiliar face. The boy looked just about his age, with short black hair and tanned skin. “Um… You are?”

“Ah!” He laughed, a low merry laugh that made him sound friendly and approachable. “We haven’t been introduced, right… I’m Sousuke. Rin’s friend? I’ve heard about you from him.” He grinned. “Rin’s just in his room. Let’s go together!”

“Um, Sousuke-san, do you have plans with Rin? I just went here on a whim so I don’t want to be in your way-” Makoto awkwardly asked, not really sure why he was feeling so unsure about this whole set-up. He somehow didn’t want to see Sousuke and Rin in one room. He didn’t want to see how well they interacted, especially with the knowledge that they’ve been inseparable these past two weeks.

Sousuke stared at him for a few seconds before chuckling. “We do have plans. But I don’t want to be rude on our first meeting. I could just cancel our plan. There’s always a next time. Rin is  _always_ with me, anyway.”

Makoto wondered if that was a smirk he was showing. He really didn’t want to know what was on this guy’s mind. “No, no, go on please. I’ll be on my way. I just– I just remembered I had something to do.”

Chuckling to himself, Sousuke picked up his phone and sent a message to Nagisa [Did my part! Are you sure this is fine?]. A few seconds later, he received a reply: [Make sure to tell Rin-chan that Makoto is at HARU’s place, okay? I’ll tell Mako-chan to go there now. Rin-chan is pretty slow, isn’t he? We’ll make him move!!!]

“Man, this kid really planned it out, huh?” He walked inside the building, wondering how Rin would react to this plan.

**—-**

  
Rin’s reaction was priceless. “Makoto went here?! And you sent him off?! And he’s at  _Haru’s_  now?!” That panic, that utter shock… Sousuke wanted to film it and use it as blackmail material later on. But Nagisa had better plans. Might as well follow that kid’s instruction.

  
Sousuke nodded. “I’m not really sure but he seemed really disappointed when I told him we had plans already.”

“Ugh…” Rin groaned and looked at his phone. “Sousuke, sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Thanks for everything… I’ll-”

“Yeah, yeah, go for it dude.” Sousuke replied, essentially shooing him off. “You’ve got lots to make up for, okay? Just get that guy already and do whatever romantic thing you want!”

Blushing in embarrassment, Rin nodded. “I will.”

**—-**

Makoto knocked on Haru’s door, waiting for Nagisa or Rei to open it. But even after a whole minute, there was no response. “I wonder where they went… They did say to meet up here…” He checked his phone another time to make sure he read the text correctly. Suddenly, his phone rang and the name [Rin] appeared. “Eh? Rin-chan?” He immediately answered the call and greeted “Hello?”

“Don’t go to Haru.” He whispered, panting. He sounded like he was…running? “I’ll be right there. Let’s go somewhere.”

“Eh?” Makoto didn’t quite understand what Rin meant by that. “Where are-”

“Here.” Rin hung up but Makoto heard his voice just behind him. And before he could react, Rin reached out to pull his hand and drag him away from Haru’s house. “I– I have something I want to show you.”

“…” Makoto really wasn’t sure how to react to this. “You had plans with Sousuke-san…”

“I cancelled. You should have called and told me you were visiting.” He said simply.

“I didn’t want to be a bother! You wanted to spend time with Sousuke-san so much and I know you’re really close so…” Makoto started muttering about how important Sousuke was to Rin that he didn’t even have time anymore to play with Ran and that he didn’t even want to see Makoto anymore and-

“Are you an idiot?” Rin exclaimed. “I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you but-” He stopped walking and faced him. “I wasn’t really sure how to go about with this.” He sighed, almost tiredly. “I go to your house all the time, play with your siblings, help you with your homework, go with you to buy your groceries… I  _even_  cook for you sometimes. I don’t cook just for anyone, okay?” He listed it all down, staring at Makoto’s eyes as he spoke. “I don’t just do all those just for anyone. But you don’t respond at all.”

  
“What do you-”

“I’ve been thinking and thinking and planning all about how I should confess to you but in the end, it’s just like this. I just can’t think of how to tell you anymore.” Rin clenched both of his fists, shaking as he tried to contain his emotions. “I like you. I really do.”

“Rin…” Makoto stared at him wide eyed, speechless. “Rin, I-”

“It- it might be weird for you and all, but I’ve thought about it really hard and I just can’t keep quiet anymore. I didn’t want to ruin any-”

Makoto couldn’t find any way to keep him quiet so he just went on ahead and sealed those lips with his. A quick peck on the lips to silence him. “You were thinking with Sousuke-san for two weeks? That’s too long…”

Rin shook his head, head still too full of that kiss and that lightheaded feeling. “He helped me think but he also helped me search for the perfect place to confess–” He looked at the side and saw the restaurant he wanted to take Makoto to, a mere few meters away from them. “Augh, I wanted to make it special. Why did I confess in the middle of the road?”

Laughing a bit, Makoto took hold of his hand and sighed in relief. “I’m so glad… I thought you were getting tired of me.”

“Never.” Rin whispered, leaning in for another kiss.

**—-**   
**EXTRA**   
**—-**

“Were you seriously jealous of Sousuke?” Rin laughed as he sat with the other boys around a kotatsu in Haru’s living room. “Of all people, Sousuke?!”

Sousuke laughed as well. “Man, I’d rather date Nagisa than  _this bastard_.”

“Eh? Really?” Nagisa piped up, smiling widely. “Sousuke-kun would?”

“Nagisa-kun!” Rei exclaimed, a scandalized expression on his face.

Laughing, Nagisa leaned towards Rei and hugged his arm. “Don’t worry, I only have Rei-chan inside my heart~”

“I wasn’t jealous!” Makoto insisted. “I was just worried.”

Nagisa laughed. “You were so jealous!”

Makoto frowned. “But Rin-chan was jealous too, right? With Haru!”

“Of course I’d be!” Rin exclaimed without an ounce of embarrassment. “You’ve been together for too long and that guy’s my rival in EVERYTHING.”

The other three laughed as Haru rolled his eyes. “I only love the water” Nagisa said blankly, imitating Haru’s expression.

They all laughed while Haru sighed. “Rin,” He called out.

“Hm?” Rin looked at him with a small smile. “What is it, Haru?”

“Take care of Makoto.” He said. This time, he smiled a bit as well.

“Of course I will!”


	15. insecure makoto [makorin]

_“What the hell is wrong with you?” Rin asked, gritting his teeth in anger as he watched Makoto slam the door behind him. “We were just training!”_

_“Why does it have to be Haru?” Makoto asked in turn. He looked Rin in the eye, lips forming a thin line. He looked every inch serious but his eyes looked like he was about to cry. “Why did you have to call him?”_

_“You know why.” Rin had no idea why he was acting this way. He **always** practiced with Haru. This was not something new. Everyone knew they were rivals, and they swam best when together. What was the big issue?_

_“Do you-” Makoto looked down. “Do you even understand how frustrating this is?” He slumped down, shaking his head. Then, as if losing his energy, he just sat down on the floor and let his gaze fall to Rin’s feet. “I’m sorry. I’m being annoying, aren’t I? Of course, Haru-chan is the best for Rin-chan, right…” He sighed. “I’m sorry for being unreasonable.”_

_Rin frowned at that. He walked closer to the other boy and crouched in front of him. Tilting his head up, Rin asked, “If you don’t explain right now, I wouldn’t understand. I’m not a psychic, you idiot.” Despite the harsh words, his eyes were sincere and his tone had that fondness to it._

_“…” Makoto didn’t even know what to say. He was being unreasonable and stupid and very much irrational. “It really is nothing.”_

_“Makoto,” Rin leaned in until their foreheads were touching. “didn’t I tell you never to hold back? Who do you think I am?” He playfully pecked him on the lips. “I’m your boyfriend, right?”_

_“I was just… a bit… insecure, I guess…” Makoto mumbled, suddenly feeling embarrassed about his own thoughts._

_Out of the blue, Rin’s eyes widened and a soft blush appeared on his cheeks. “Insecure… You mean you were being jealous of **Haru**?” Rin hid his face in his hands before sighing in relief. “I thought I did something stupid again. Mou!” He moved in for another peck on the lips. “You’re so damn cute”_


	16. sweets [makorin]

“Rin-chan, Rin-chan! Give me more of that strawberry candy you gave me yesterday!” Ran hopped to his side, effectively wedging herself in between the two high school boys who were just trying very hard to study for their exams.

“ _Nii-chan_. You should call him Rin’ _nii-chan_.” Makoto firmly corrected.

Ran pouted but nodded anyway. Rin laughed and gave him another piece of that candy. “Here. Don’t eat too much sweets, or else your teeth will all fall out!” He said the last part with a scary foreboding voice, the type he always used on Gou when they were kids.

Makoto laughed as he watched Ran pinch Rin’s cheeks and stick out her tongue before running away to the first floor (probably to pester their mom). “Why do you always have candies like that?” He then asked, actually curious about it since a long while ago. “…though I’m not complaining since I always ask for more just like Ran-chan…”

Rin stared at his notebook and as if it was nothing, he answered “Well obviously it’s for you.”

“Eh?” Makoto’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“N-nothing. I just thought that… candies are good for someone studying! Yeah! Since the sugar helps your brain function…” Rin hastily explained, blushing in embarrassment. He looked up at the other boy with wide eyes, fully in the mode to say all kinds of excuses. “There’s a completely scientific reason for this, you know! Harvard-”

His nonsense speech was put to an end when Makoto sealed his lips with a kiss. Then, smirking to himself, he playfully pried Rin’s lips open with his tongue and transferred his candy to him. Letting go, he was rewarded with the brightest blush on Rin’s face. He chuckled happily, fully satisfied and energized now.  _“Maybe the sweets would help you think of a better excuse?”_


	17. treasures [makorin]

It was their ‘monthly-Rin-check-up’ time in which the whole Iwatobi Swimming Club goes to Rin’s new dorm room (he was alone because 3rd years get single rooms) to pester him and basically make sure he was not self-destructing like an idiot again. It was Nagisa’s idea (also Rei’s, but he would never ever admit that).

And, as always, while Rin was gone with Rei to buy some snacks and drinks for everyone, Nagisa went ahead and looked through Rin’s things. Of course, Rin was always careful about these things so he always hides his diary and other important things away from Nagisa’s reach. Today was a bit different though. Rin forgot a very important thing inside his room. Since Rei was saying something about a sale and an important snack he really wanted, Rin was only able to bring his wallet.

He left his cellphone on his bed. His phone: a device that has lots and lots of info that Nagisa could use for blackmail.

“Ehehe~ I found it!” Nagisa grinned at the cellphone, wondering what he could found inside.

“Nagisa, that’s private…” Makoto tried to stop him, expression showing extreme worry. “You really shouldn’t touch Rin-chan’s things.”

Haruka placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulder and said, “Just let him be.”

Hearing that, Nagisa giggled. “See? Even Haru-chan is curious! You are too, right? Like, is he texting some girl or what kind of messages are in his folders…” As he said this, he clicked on the phone and started his exploration. “Hmmm… Ah, here. Saved messages… Ah! How cute~ It’s a message from Gou-chan!” He smiled widely as he read the message. It was a worried mail filled with questions and updates on the Iwatobi SC. “Ah~ Rin-chan’s really sweet… Hm? There’s…” He grinned wider. “Somehow, all the other messages are from one person.” Looking up, he realized Haruka and Makoto were looking at him intently. “Curious?”

“Someone we know?” Haruka asked, eyes shining as it always does when he wanted answers immediately. Makoto didn’t speak but he was obviously waiting for the answer.

Nagisa giggled some more. “I’m not saying~!” He moved back away from the two and started exploring some more. “I wonder what else is here… Oh, voice messages… from the same person, huh?” He was giggling happy all the while.

“Now I’m really curious…” Makoto sulked, watching him. He really wanted to know, but he knew looking at Rin’s things would be bad. This way, at least he wouldn’t feel guilty.

Probably because he was enjoying himself too much, Nagisa did not notice the door opening and the two guys walking in. He belatedly realized it when Rin snatched the phone away from him, blushing profusely. “Ah, Rin-chan!” He smiled widely. “Your saved messages are really full of love, ne~?”

“You-!” Rin was about to tackle Nagisa on his bed when Makoto swiftly stopped him from trying to murder their smallest friend. The tall guy pulled him away and made him sit beside Haruka away from the bed. But through the confusion, somehow, Nagisa was able to snatch Makoto’s cellphone away from the table.

“Now then! I’ll do an announcement!” Nagisa said, moving to the side away from everyone. “I will show everyone a sight you’ve never seen before!”

“Huh?” The others clearly did not understand where Nagisa was going with this. Makoto then noticed his phone missing. “Nagisa! Don’t touch that!”

Smiling mischievously, Nagisa snickered. “Hiding something, aren’t you,  Mako-chan~” He laughed and then quickly pushed some buttons. “Everyone, ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to present you… Mako-chan’s…”

“NAGISA, NO!”

“Rin-chan collection!” Nagisa happily showed everyone the cellphone’s screen, and pushed next repeatedly. There were different pictures of Rin. From Swim meets to practices… Somehow, Makoto even has a picture of Rin sleeping!

“Why…” Rin stared at Makoto (who looked like he just wanted to be eaten by the ground). “How- Why do you have that?”

“I just- somehow-” Makoto couldn’t look him in the eye. He didn’t even know how to explain it. There were too many questionable things about the whole thing that it was too confusing to explain everything. “I just really liked the pictures… so… Nitori-san… Um…”

“Guys, could you leave us for a minute?” Rin asked, looking around.

Nagisa took hold of Haru and Rei’s hands and dragged them out. “Have fun~”

—

“So…?” Rin sat in front of Makoto. “You got the pictures from Nitori?”

Makoto nodded shamefully. “I’m sorry. It must be pretty creepy to see someone have that much pictures of you. I’ll- I’ll delete everything if you want.”

“But you haven’t answered my question.” Rin was seriously staring at him with those questioning eyes. “Why do you have them?”

“It’s somehow… very complicated? But I guess it’s because we don’t see you often. I started asking Nitori-kun how you were and then he sent me pictures and you looked really happy and you don’t really reply to my messages or to my calls so I don’t know what you do here and I got worried and seeing those pictures, they… um… keep me at ease, I guess?” He rambled on and on about how the pictures makes him smile and be relaxed and not worried about Rin so he started keeping everything until there was a whole collection inside his phone.

For a while, Rin just stared at the ground quietly, not really sure how to respond. His cheeks were a bright red so he refused to look up and let Makoto know.

Taking his silence for anger, Makoto panicked. “Ah! As I expected, it’s creepy, isn’t it? I’m sorry… I’ll delete- Ah, Nagisa took my phone… I’ll delete it later so-”

“You don’t have to.” Rin said quietly. He stood up and took his phone from his bed. “It’s not creepy at all, that sort of thing. Nitori has all those pictures too, right? It’s not a big deal.” He went back to Makoto’s side and looked at him properly this time. The blush was as obvious as ever. “And keeping those makes you smile, right? That makes me happy.”

“Eh?”

“I have it too. Something that makes me happy.” He passed the phone to Makoto and showed him the saved messages. “I don’t- Well, I don’t really know how to talk about myself. Since it’s been such a long time since I’ve properly talked with friends, I’m still not used to talks like that… Which is why I can’t reply easily.” He explained this with a quiet voice that made it obvious how embarrassed he was. “But seeing your messages and hearing your voice really made me happy. When I get bad scores on my exams or when I don’t do well in practice, I listen-” He looked down and messed his hair with his right hand, as if frustrated. “Aaaah! This is too embarrassing! Just! Don’t delete them, okay? I won’t delete mine too. So… yeah. I’ll also try to respond properly to your messages… And um…”

Makoto laughed. “I’m glad too, that Rin-chan treasures my messages. That makes me happy”


	18. makorin not-fic

One day Rin heard Makoto and Nagisa talking about who Makoto likes. Deep inside, he was thinking “well, isn’t it Haru?” with a shrug. But instead, Makoto said the person he liked had red hair. Rin immediately connected it to Gou. I mean, who wouldn’t like Gou right? She’s such a darling and she’s sweet and everyone would fall for her! At first, Rin’s protectiveness acted up but then he thought ’ _if it’s Makoto, it’s better, right? Makoto is kind and handsome and gentle and he takes care of people and-_ ’ He started thinking about all these good things about Makoto.

So he decided to help Makoto confess to Gou. So he asks Makoto out to gouge what his plans are.

…suffice to say, after their “meeting” turned out more fun than he expected, he wasn’t able to ask about Gou at all.

Instead, they planned another “meeting” instead. And again. And again.

Until Rin realizes that  _oops maybe I’m starting to like Makoto that way_. Which would be bad, right??? Since Makoto likes Gou and all!

Confused, he asks Nagisa about it. But Nagisa has sworn allegiance to Makoto and won’t tell who the tall boy likes. So instead of saying anything, he tells Rin to just confess and see where it goes. After all, isn’t he that kind of person? He’ll definitely push forward and search for the answers! That’s their Rin-chan!

And so he does.

Boy was he glad he did. Makoto just showed him the cutest embarrassed face ever and said “I thought it was obvious enough”.

In the end, everyone around them actually knew about it and just assumed Rin finally asked Makoto out on a “date”.


	19. Pocky Game [MakoRin]

It was the weekend before Makoto’s entrance exam for his university of choice. Rin had agreed to tutor Makoto, given how he didn’t have to worry about entrance exams because he already got in through a recommendation. Standing in front of his friend’s room, Rin glanced at the snacks he bought. He blushed as he caught glimpse of a particular one.

Pocky. A normal snack anyone in Japan knows. But Rin knows it’s used for something else too. He watched it on a romantic movie a few days back. A blush covered his cheeks as he recalled that scene.

“Rin’nii?” Ren was staring up at him with large, confused eyes. “Are you not going in?” He went towards the door and knocked.

“Oi- wait!”

The door opened, revealing a confused Makoto. “Rin-chan? Why are you-“

“I’m- I was just-”

“Rin’nii brought snacks~” Ren’s eyes were shining as he stared at the plastic on the older guy’s hand. “Are you going to eat everything? I want the pocky!”

Eyes widening in panic, Rin retracted his hands closer to himself. “I-“

Ren’s frowned, obviously disappointed. Makoto, obviously wanting for Ren to be happy, looked at Rin sternly and asked, “Why can’t you just give that pocky? There’s a lot of snacks there.”

“Anything but the pocky.” Rin said, face turning redder by the minute. “I’ll give you everything else so,” He knelt down in front of the kid and gave him a whole pack of biscuits that Rin knew he liked. “You’ll forgive Rin’nii, right?”

Ren stared at the pack, then took it with a smile. “Un! I love these!” He rushed over to the stairs to go to his sister. “Thanks, Rin’nii!” He yelled as he disappeared from view.

Makoto was smiling knowingly by now, leaning on his door while chuckling quietly. “You like pocky that much?”

One look at him and Rin knew he had been found out. He trudged forward, looking down so Makoto would not see more of his embarrassed expression. “I just saw it so-” He was obviously sulking as he sat down. “Touma did it to Futaba once so I got curious-“

“Ah~ that manga, ne?” Makoto was enjoying this. Sulky, adorable Rin was a cute sight to see, after all. “And then you saw that movie last night? I was watching it too and I wondered if Rin-chan watched it.”

“…I did.” Rin whispered, still looking down. “We don’t have to, you know.” He snapped then, getting annoyed at Makoto’s gleeful tone. He grabbed the nearest book and opened it without even looking up.

There was silence. Then the sound of foil being opened. Then a crunch as Makoto bit on his first pocky. “Eh~ But I’ve been studying non-stop so I wanted to take a break.” He smiled and peeked at Rin’s face, pocky in between his lips. He just stared at Rin with those gentle eyes, waiting for a reaction.

“…” Makoto continued smiling and staring with those beautiful green eyes and that kind smile. How can anyone actually say no to that?! “Mou! Fine!” Rin loudly closed the book and looked at him properly. “Le-let’s do it, then.”

Eyes shining with triumph, Makoto finished the stick and took out a new one. “Does the winner get a prize?”

“…” Rin blushed some more.

“You wanted to say ‘just your kiss is enough’ didn’t you?” Makoto chuckled, reading Rin’s expression easily. That line was what the hero said in the romantic movie, and knowing Rin, he wants to do something like that deep inside. “Then, that’s fine. Rin-chan’s kiss is fine as a gift for me too.”

“J-just shut up and bite that pocky already!” Rin wanted to kiss those lips right now, and make him stop saying all those embarrassing things.


	20. unrequited makorin (married makogou)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> every time i see this, i wanna burn down my own soul

_“Don’t wait for things to move forward. If you like Haru that much, why don’t you tell him?” Rin smiled at Ren and patted him on the head. While he knew there was an age gap and that Haru was painfully oblivious to people’s feelings about him (he would know since he had the biggest crush on him when they were kids), he also knew that Ren was sincere about his feelings. Besides, it’s been… what, 8 years? Ren was grown up now. That crush he had as a kid never wavered despite becoming one of Haru’s closest friends (unlike Rin who somehow realized he wanted Haru to forever be his rival instead, and that he had someone else he wanted to be with his entire life). “You’re gonna regret it if you don’t tell him.”_

_“But Haru-chan is older and I was his student in the Swimming School for a while… I feel like it’s just ruin-” Ren was fidgeting, obviously torn with indecision._

_Rin frowned. He knew that feeling all too well. That feeling of wanting to stay the same, of not ruining the friendship… He knew it all too well. And he hates it. He hates how seeing that emotion in Ren also triggers memories of the past years. “Haru’s not some asshole who’ll treat you differently if you confess. Besides, you’ll never know what he feels unless you ask him. He’s pretty fond of you, isn’t he?” He smiled warmly to encourage the younger. Haru has been steadily showing signs of protectiveness and over-fondness for this boy and Rin, someone who has known him for so long, noticed it. “Don’t use excuses like you’re both guys or age or it ruining your friendship. That’s the worst kind of regret.”_

_“Does Rin'nii have that kind of regret?” Ren asked, looking at him with curious eyes. They were almost the same height now, so Rin didn’t have to look down to see him eye to eye._

_A sad smile appeared on his face. “Maybe.”_

—

 

Rin took a deep breath and knocked on the door. An enthusiastic voice and loud footsteps were heard from the other side. Then, the door opened to reveal a young girl with long green hair. “Mama!” She shouted to the people inside. “Uncle Rin is here!” She smiled brightly at Rin then and offered her hand. “Original Rin~ Let’s go~"  The little girl pulled him into the house while giggling happily.

"Rin the Second, have you been a good girl?” He asked playfully, ruffling her hair. “Is your papa here?”

“Yes! You know, Papa and Mama were so excited to see you!” She chirped, pointing to the kitchen where the two were. “You haven’t visited us lately and Papa was getting worried! And Rin the Second feels really sad when Original Rin is not visiting.” She pulled off a perfect sad kicked puppy impression that would soften anyone’s heart.

Laughing, Rin took her into his arms and said “Then I’ll just kidnap Little Rin so we can always be together!” He ran to the kitchen while holding her princess-style.

“Kyaaaa~” she laughed and flailed around then reached a hand for her dad. “Daddy!”

“Oh? Does my princess need saving?” Makoto took out a ladle and brandished it in front of him like a sword. “Is that the dragon that has taken my princess captive?”

Rin laughed and made monster sounds while running away from Makoto. On the side, Gou was laughing and watching them. “Now, now, Makoto, don’t play with that. What if Rin-chan copies you?”

Rin grinned despite himself. “I won’t copy him. I’m a good kid.” Little Rin laughed and pinched him on the cheek. “Silly, they were talking about me.” To this, Rin smiled fondly at her.

“Naming our child Rin is problematic, after all, ne?” Gou laughed and Makoto followed suit. “Having two Rins in the room is exhausting too.”

“Can’t help it. We decided to name her after our most favorite person.” Makoto shrugged.

Laughing to himself, Rin replied with “Oh come on, you’re flattering me.”

 

—

_“Maybe?” Ren asked, frowning. He bit his lip, thinking deeply. He wondered if it was right to ask. “You… you loved my brother, didn’t you?” He muttered, unsure and worried of what his reaction would be._

_“Yes.” Rin didn’t even falter. “But he’s happy now and I’m happy for him. At least we’ve got a Tachibana Rin in our family now, right?”_

_Ren heard him laugh but it only sounded like a heart breaking into pieces. A heart that would never find love again. A heart broken beyond repair._


	21. teenage ranren interrogating rin [makorin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> written during the break after the first season. makoto is... a model?

Ran and Ren, both 17 years old now and in high school now, sat in front of Rin in the Samezuka cafeteria. They were on break and Rin somehow had the time to hang out before he returns to taking care of some papers for his next competition. “Senpai,” Ran started, using a completely serious tone. “Aren’t you too slow?”

“My swimming?” He asked blankly, munching on his lunch and not paying attention to the tension-filled looks they were giving him. “I’m the fastest out of all the Japanese athletes though. I have a huge-”

“Rin-senpai!” Ren interrupted, clearly annoyed. “Stop acting like you don’t know what we’re talking about.”

“Stop calling me  _senpai,_ then.” Rin just glanced at them lazily. “If you’re not talking about school, you should just call me like usual.” He doesn’t even remember when they started calling him that. They both became athletes and entered this school, but he never really saw them as kohais. They’re forever just Ren and Ran.

Ran pouted while Ren frowned. “Don’t dodge the issue, Rin'nii!” Ren complained, throwing a piece of peas to his forehead. It hit him square in the middle. He didn’t even flinch, merely chuckle at the younger boy’s childishness. “You’ve been going overseas a lot and Nii-chan is definitely getting lonely. I saw him shopping for food last time and he bought too much sweets and ingredients… Maybe he’s eating the stress away…” His eyes were wide with fear as he imagined his perfect brother becoming a bouncing ball of piled-up stress.

“Take responsibility!” Ran then said, slamming both hands on the table. “What if he gets fat and he doesn’t get any modelling job anymore and then he’ll be poor and you’ll be overseas and-” She gasped. “What would happen to Nii-chan then?!”

Rin couldn’t help it anymore. He burst out laughing. How did they come up with such stupid delusions? “You two are still as cute as ever.” But before he could explain his side, his phone rang, effectively interrupting their conversation. “Oh. Speaking of the devil,” He grinned at the two and showed them the screen. “Makoto’s calling. I’ll answer this, okay?” He moved to the side and answered the call. “Hello? …oh. Yeah, I’ll go home early. I’ve had lunch so you can go ahead. Hm? Ah, yeah. I’m with them… Haha… Yeah, they seem to be confused. I’ll bring them later. Sorry. I’ll do the grocery tomorrow. I love y- Haha… are you seriously still embarrassed of that? I  _love_ you.” He laughed again. “…Yeah, yeah, bye. See you later.”

Once the call was done, the twins bombarded him with questions:

“What do you mean groceries?”

“Confused?”

“Bring us?”

“Calm down,"  Rin stood up and placed each of his hands on their heads. "No, I’m not  _slow,_ Ran. And no, your brother is not eating away his stress, Ren.” He laughed as he sat back down. “I wanted to tell you today but you both just jumped to all those conclusions.”

“But! But our classmates said you were probably going to stay in Australia for a while… And that you wanted to court this sexy-” Ran blushed in embarrassment.

“Do you really think I would break up with your brother?” He asked, almost a scoff. More than anyone, it was them who knew how much Rin loved Makoto. “Are you doubting your Rin'nii?”

“We’re sorry…” They simultaneously answered, heads bowed down. “We were just scared for Nii-chan. We don’t want him to get hurt. He’s too kind so sometimes people don’t treasure him properly.” Ran was obviously speaking about it from experience.

Rin understood those sentiments though. He nodded in agreement. Because Makoto was kind, many people would take that as permission to abuse him. That was why Rin wanted to stay as close as possible. “Trust me. I’ll never leave your brother, and I’ll always protect him. Besides, there’s no one better than him, right?”

“Yup! Big brother is the best!” They smiled widely and nodded. They didn’t say it but despite their worry, deep inside, they knew Rin was the best for their brother too.


	22. unrequited makorin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a punch in the gut would be way less painful

_Rin finds it so fucking unfair. He loves Haru. You know, as a wonderful friend who lets him feel excitement and that surge of adrenaline because of their rivalry. He loves Haru because Haruka was that figure he would run after all the time._

_But Haruka has always been so talented. So, so blessed and talented. Whether it be swimming or art, he just was so gifted. He didn’t need to exert as much effort as Rin does._

_And even here. Even in love. Haruka wins all the awards. Haruka gets everything Rin ever wanted. He was born with that kind of gift from god._

_“Haru!” Makoto ran over to Haruka and offered a towel. “Your time’s faster!”_

_“Un.” Haruka doesn’t care about that at all though, does he? He doesn’t even thank Makoto for the towel. It’s just natural for Makoto to give him a towel. It’s just natural for Makoto to worry about him. It’s just natural for Makoto to swim for him._

_Rin feels that ache in his heart again. Fuck this. “I’m going home.”_

_“Eh?” Makoto looks at him with a frown, sad and disappointed. “There’s still an hour. Aren’t you going home with us?”_

_It sucks. It sucks how Makoto could look so worried about him and say this. And how his heart just softens because of how gentle Makoto’s voice is. It sucks that he feels this way when Makoto only really looks at Haru **that** way. “No. I promised Ai we’d meet and eat dinner together.” He made up some random excuse._

_Makoto smiled and nodded. Then he looked at Haruka and chatted about how Haru should sleepover because Ren and Ran wanted to play with him._

_This sucks. But what sucks the most is the fact that he’ll be back here the next week, as if this didn’t hurt enough. He’ll come back and watch Makoto and Haru swim again. Because that’s the only time he could see that smile on Makoto._


	23. insecure fem rin [makorin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: [Makoto/Fem!Rin] I kinda want to see how would it plays out if Makoto wants Rin (as his girlfriend) to meet his parents. From what I see his parents could be the type that wants a sweet, demure girl for their Makoto while Rin is obviously none of that and Rin just sort of internally freaks out because she’s scared if his parents wouldn’t like her.
> 
> from [this](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fiwatobiswimclub.dreamwidth.org%2F1476.html%3Freplyto%3D1171908&t=Nzk2MmEzYzcwNDZmMjZmMjcwNTVmOGVmMjE0YWJmNWQ4MmQ1YmVjYixMZ3h4MFh5Ug%3D%3D&b=t%3ADiKt8RB-O-PAnOPdMMrmvw&p=http%3A%2F%2Fmoeblobmegane.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F66501799065%2Fah-aaaaah-ahhhhh-thank-god-someone-actually&m=1).

Nagisa walked into the club room and noticed two things. One, Rei was still nowhere to be seen. Two, Rin-chan was glaring at Makoto with the force of a thousand angry sharks. Out of everyone in the club, Makoto was the only one she didn’t glare at usually. He is her  _precious boyfriend_ , after all. There’s a first time for everything, though. Nagisa grinned widely and sat beside Rin. “Rin-chan, what did Mako-chan do?”

“Nothing.” Rin spat out, looking away with a huff. “I’ll go ahead and practice. I don’t want to be in a room with two idiots.”

To that, Nagisa simply laughed and waved his hand. “Ah, Kou-chan is already at the pool so be quick! I think there were two girls in my class who wanted to confess to him today!”

Rin narrowed his eyes in annoyance and nodded. “Thanks for the heads up.” She opened the door with a bang and ran out just like that.

“I wonder what they like about Kou, that closet pervert…” Nagisa muttered thoughtfully, before remembering the other guy in the room. Makoto looked like the world was ending. That bad. “Mako-chan…” Nagisa personally hated it when Makoto was sad, because it feels like nothing is good in this world anymore when a person as good as Makoto became sad. “What happened?” He stood up and sat beside the taller guy.

“I asked her if he had time for this weekend. Mom wanted to meet her.” Makoto explained, looking down as if he did something terribly wrong.

Nagisa blinked. “Isn’t that… good?” He frowned, confused.

“Well, before we started going out, we talked about how my parents kept on wondering when I’ll bring a girlfriend… And they said it would be nice if it was a quiet Yamato Nadeshiko unlike Ran.” Makoto sighed, regretting that conversation from the bottom of his heart. It was just a silly little conversation with his parents, and he’s sure they weren’t completely serious about it. “Rin’s sensitive about things, since she lost her mom at an early age and all.”

“You know Rin-chan.  _You’re_  her weakness.” Nagisa simply smiled kindly at him. “Just be extra sweet to her today. Ah! And~ be sure to make her feel  _special,_ okay?” He raised his index finger, as if he was giving Makoto some sort of lecture. “Rin-chan doesn’t know how beautiful she is or how special she is to all of us. She doesn’t acknowledge how perfect we think she is. So make sure that changes soon, okay Mr. Boyfriend?” He was grinning but his eyes showed how he was begging Makoto to make it happen. He was one of Rin’s biggest supporters, after all.

Makoto nodded and patted Nagisa’s head. “Leave it to me.”

—-

Whenever they go home together, Makoto always offers to hold Rin’s bag and Rin would immediately reject the offer. ‘It’s not even heavy’ is what Rin would tell him. She was that type of girl after all: independent, headstrong, stubborn. She was harsh with her words sometimes but then she could be the sweetest, most supportive person at times.  Makoto loves her for all those reasons. It might be cheesy, but he thinks she completes him. (One time he accidentally blurted this and she just laughed happily and said “I think so too”).

This time, as he waited outside the pool area for Rin to stop fussing over Kou, he was in deep thought of what he should do. He then noticed Rei walking down the stairs and towards the clubroom. “Rei-chan!” He called out. The glasses-wearing girl looked surprised as she looked back on him.

She rushed over to him and asked, “What is it, senpai?”

“Do you know what I could do for Rin-“ He was just starting to explain the situation but Rei’s eyes were already bright with ideas. She probably knew everything from Nagisa already.

“There’s a flower shop in the shopping center! A nice café opened near there too. If you bring her there and excuse yourself, you could buy a bouquet of lovely flowers for her. According to surveys, even now, girls really like flowers as gifts.” She pushed her glasses up as she finished explaining. “Is that plan to your liking?”

Makoto’s smile softened. “That’s a great idea, Rei-chan. Thank you.”

“Oi,” The two looked up to see Rin at the top of the stairs. “Let’s go!” She looked annoyed as she swung her bag behind her and jogged ahead of Makoto.

“Wait for me, Rin-chan!” Makoto waved goodbye to Rei before running to his girlfriend.

—

They walked in silence then, Makoto still deep in thought. “Let’s eat somewhere.” He took her hand into his as he walked to the shopping center. She simply nodded, obviously still annoyed at him. They continued walking without even any small talk. He took out his phone to send a message to Nagisa. He had a plan, and he would need the younger boy’s help.

Finally, they reached the café he had in mind. He glanced at the side and saw the flower shop there. “Here,” He pointed. They entered immediately and sat on a window seat.

When they were finally settled, he looked at her and asked, “Rin-chan, are you still angry that I agreed to the dinner without asking you?” He placed his hand on top of hers on the table, squeezing it lightly. “I’m really sorry about that, okay? I was just too excited for you to meet everyone.” His smile was apologetic and sincere.

“I’m…” Rin glanced at him then sighed. “I’m not angry.”

He frowned, confusion clear on his face. “Then why aren’t you talking to me?”

“I  _am_ talking to you right now, aren’t I?” She said, still curt with her answers.

As a final resort, he moved to the other seat beside her and pulled at her hand. Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, he made her face him. “What are you angry about?”

“I’m not.” She glared at him. “Go to the other seat or I will kick you so hard, I swear, Makoto Tachibana. People are staring.”

He simply smiled at that, somehow already used to her threats. He leaned even closer until their noses were touching. He placed a quick peck on her lips before asking again. “What are you angry about?”

She promptly stepped on his foot,  _lightly_ pushed him away and crossed her arms. A scowl was on her face before she took the menu and hid behind it. “I’m this kind of girl, okay?” She exclaimed, sounding annoyed. “I can’t change or anything. I can’t suddenly become all nice or-”

Trying to look like his foot wasn’t hurt or anything, he smiled at her. He took the menu away and stared at her expression. “I like you the way you are.”

“You do, but what about your parents?” She actually looked down, still annoyed. “I’m not angry at  _you_. I’m angry at myself. Kou adores you and even my mom has met you already. They both love you.”

“My family would love you too. I’m sure they would!” Makoto insisted.

She actually pouted as she looked down. That cute pout that everyone wants to see! He was so glad they were not in the club room anymore, because he wanted to be the only one to see this. “Rei-chan is nicer and she’s quiet and well-refined too…”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Maybe that’s the case, but you’re the one I like.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, hand lingering on her cheek. “You’re the one I want my parents to meet. You’re  _amazing_  and everyone will love you.”

“Even though I’m not a Yamato Nadeshiko?” She asked with a childish tone. She was the most adorable girl in the whole world and she didn’t even know it.

He playfully messed her hair and chuckled. “You’re already  _perfect._ ” He took her right hand into both of his and kissed her palm. “You’ve got the best grades in our whole grade, for one. What kind of parent doesn’t love that?” He smiled widely as Rin laughed as well. “And you excel in sports. You’re the captain of the Swim Team! You work hard more than anyone and you’re passionate about everything you do. You have a clear goal in life and there’s  _nothing_  that would stop you from winning that Olympic medal!”

He looked right into her eyes and she could see the overflowing love he had for her. He was just full of admiration and pride for her. She can’t deny that. If he says she’s perfect, then she should believe it. Because he’s the most honest man in the whole world; the most wonderful boyfriend and the best man for her.

“How can you be anything but perfect?” This was accompanied by a sigh. That kind of sigh you do when you’re  _so in love with something, it takes your breath away._  “Matsuoka Rin, you are my perfect girl.”

As if this moment couldn’t get any cheesier, a soft romantic piano tune played and they both looked to see Rei playing on the side. He motioned towards the door where Nagisa, a dozen red roses in hand, was walking over to their table. “A delivery,” he simply said as he placed the bouquet in front of Rin. “-for the prettiest girl in the room.”

Ever the crybaby, tears welled up in her eyes as she picked up the flowers. The few people around the café started clapping and cheering them on. “This is over-the-top, you know.” She muttered, hugging Makoto and crying on his shoulder. “You idiot, I was the one being stubborn.”

“It’s still a few days early but, happy anniversary” He whispered on her ear. “Let’s celebrate it properly this Saturday, okay?”

—- EXTRA: Tachibana Pheromone —-

On the day itself, Rin was still pretty nervous when she rang their doorbell. She chose the simplest and most demure dress she could find (she wasn’t even into dresses). She also properly styled her hair and wore less accessories than usual (she and Nagisa always used way more accessories than normal people). She waited patiently outside, knees slightly shaking from anxiousness. This wasn’t like any of her competitions before. This felt like a war she was getting into. It was a scary thought.

 

Then again, this was the Tachibana Household and Makoto grew up here. He’s the sweetest boy ever so he’s definitely surrounded by the sweetest people too.

Hopefully.

The door opened slowly, a young girl peeking out with a suspicious expression on her face. Then, a boy with an identical face and expression appeared beside her. “Are you Onii-chan’s girlfriend?” They both asked.

“Um. Yes…” She wondered if she should introduce herself now.

“Even though you’re his girlfriend now, you can’t marry him!” Ren then exclaimed, pouting cutely. Ran nodded with her eyes wide. “We’ll marry nii-chan!”

“The two of you?” She asked, trying so hard not to gather those two into a hug.  _Oh god they are the cutest (next to Kou though, since Kou will forever be the cutest)_. “You’ll marry him both?”

“Yep!” They said at the same time. “We’ll share. Nii-chan said sharing is good.”

Before Rin could say anything, loud footsteps were heard from the lobby and Makoto opened the door wider in no time. “Rin!” He smiled widely, panting still. “Are my siblings bothering you?” He asked, obviously embarrassed. “What were you talking about?”

Rin, nerves completely handled by now, smirked at her boyfriend. “Oh we were just wondering who would marry Makoto’nii-chan.”

“Ma-ma-marry?” Makoto’s whole face turned red.

 _Ugh, everyone in this family is too cute._  Rin tried to stop herself from thinking of stupid things like ‘I want to marry into this family’.

“Un!” Ran took hold of Makoto’s right hand. “ _I’ll_  marry nii-chan!”

“We’ll share, right Ran?” Ren took hold of his other hand and looked at Ran with determined eyes.

Giggling, Rin crouched down to look at the two. “Let’s see, you’re Ran and Ren right?” She asked, using her ‘nee-chan voice’. “And I’m Rin-chan.” She pointed to herself, a naughty smile on her face. Makoto saw what was coming. “Rin, Ren, Ran. Isn’t that great? Doesn’t that sound like we could all share?” She nodded to herself, waiting for the kids’ response.

“Your name is Rin-chan?” Ran looked at her as if she’s seen her in a new light. “You’re like our triplet!” She grinned happily and pulled at her hand. “Let’s go inside! Mom will love you!” As they all rushed inside, she added “And I  _love_ your necklace. It’s so pretty~”

Makoto sighed in relief. “If you won over the twins that easily, you’ll win my parents’ hearts just fine.”

“Maybe I have a Tachibana pheromone.” Rin chided, following the twins into the kitchen.

Well, this will definitely be an awesome day.


	24. Happy Birthday Makoto [MakoRin]

_Makoto was in the supermarket when he first noticed something weird. He felt like someone was following him. It felt like a dark intent was concentrated on his back. He looked around a few times but he never saw anyone. Still, he moved very carefully just in case someone was really following him. He went on to shop for the ingredients for tomorrow’s lunch box for the twins. Though his mother insisted that they had enough ingredients for the lunch box for tomorrow’s sports’ day, Makoto still wanted to do this much. He wanted his siblings to have a fun day, after all._

_After buying everything, he walked ahead to his house, humming quietly to himself. Then he felt it again, that presence. But this time, he heard a soft voice say “Eagle is going to the nest. Do you copy?” It was definitely Rei’s voice._

_“Mako-chan is more like a whale though.” There it was, Nagisa’s voice._

_“Sshhh!” Rei immediately hushed him up, obviously panicking._

_Makoto didn’t really know why they were sneaking around. So he just walked ahead as if he didn’t notice them. Smiling to himself, he walked at a leisurely pace._

_—_

_Strangely enough, when he reached his doorstep, all he heard was footsteps away from him and a whispered “We leave it to you, then” by Rei. He was probably talking on his phone._

_Makoto opened the door to see Ran looking up at him with wide, determined eyes. “You’re not allowed to come in the kitchen!”_

_“Eh?” The big brother crouched down, looking curiously at his sister. “Why?”_

_“I’m making a special project and you’re not allowed to see.” Ran pouted cutely. “You won’t peek, right?”_

_Eyes softening, he nodded. “Okay.”_

_—_

_About an hour later, Ren knocked on his door, shuffling his feet nervously as he said “Nii-chan, can you come with me?”_

_Makoto was glad he could finally get out of his room. He wanted to play with his siblings, after all. “Of course."_ _Ren led him to the first floor, then to the entrance of the kitchen where the lights were out._

_"Surprise!” With the light switched on, Rin and Ran jumped out from behind the table. “Happy birthday, Makoto!” “Happy birthday nii-chan!”_

_He gaped at them blankly. “Eh?”_

_Rin laughed and walked to him, taking his hand and pulling him to the table. “As expected, you forgot?”_

_“Eh but…” He glanced at the calendar. “ **Oh.** ”_

_The redhead shook his head in disapproval, walking over to the side to take the handmade cake they’ve been trying so hard to make since earlier. “It doesn’t look great but it tastes good!” Rin proudly said, lighting the candles on top of the cake. There were different sized fruits on top and even candy figures that looked like the whole Tachibana family. “The twins designed it and I baked the cake.”_

_“For me?” Makoto can’t believe they’d put so much effort for him. They could have bought something from the bakery! He wasn’t choosy at all, and besides, he even forgot his birthday!_

_“Of course, idiot.” Rin lightly kissed his cheek. “Just for you. You’re our most special person after all, right?” He looked at the twins with a huge smile._

_“Un!”_


	25. Not my sister, you brat [nagigou, nagirin friendship]

Friday. After class. Rin met up with Nagisa in a cafe near his university. At first it was normal… but then Nagisa asked one question that blew off Rin’s fuse. “Can I date your sister?”

“You  _cannot_ date my sister.” Rin exclaimed, glaring angrily at the blonde boy who was still smiling brightly at him. “Stop smiling! You are not allowed to smile your way out of this!” He knew how good Nagisa is when it comes to convincing him. He’s always been weak to the younger boy’s requests. If he was in Iwatobi, he would probably be doing everything this boy wants whenever he asks it. Nagisa was just powerful like that ( _without even trying_ ). “No, no, no! Don’t pout at me, you brat!”

Nagisa continued pouting and staring at Rin. “Che~ I thought I would be able to convince you like this.” Then, without missing a beat, he grinned happily again. Man, nothing can ever stop him from having fun, huh? “Then! Should we bet on it?”

“Huh?!” Rin scrunched up his nose, yelling at Nagisa with all his strength. “Does my sister even like you?! You don’t even have muscles  _AND SHE’S TOO YOUNG TO GO OUT WITH ANYONE_!”

“Rinrin, we’re already in our last year of high school, you know?” Nagisa noted calmly, not even deterred by Rin’s shouting. “And~ You’ve graduated so you don’t see me at the pool anymore, do you?” His grin widened and there was an obvious devilish glint in his eyes. “I've  _matured.”_

Rin was too taken aback by Nagisa’s predatory expression to actually complain about the nickname. “…E-even if you do have muscles, why would my sister choose you? Be-besides, she can’t have a boyfriend! Never!” Rin was acting more of a child than Nagisa, but he didn’t care. He would never let anyone touch Gou. Not on his watch!

Nagisa frowned and crossed his arms. “And I’m being a good guy and asking you properly too!” He glanced to the side, to the other booth hidden from sight, and exclaimed, “Gou-chan, he’s not budging!”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Rin saw Gou walking towards them with narrowed eyes. “Oh nii-chan…” She sat down beside Nagisa on the small booth. “I’m old enough to decide for myself.”

Rin frowned. “But  _why Nagisa of all people_?”

“That’s rude!” Nagisa puffed up his cheeks, acting annoyed.

Gou simply laughed. “Why not?” She asked. “Does Nii-chan have anything against Nagi-kun?”

 _“_ Na-Nagi-kun?!” Rin slammed his hands on the table. “You  _cannot_ have a boyfriend. I forbid it. Graduate from college first!”

Nagisa raised an eyebrow. “Even though Rin-chan is going out with Haru-chan? You practically live together!”

Rin’s eyes widened. “W-we’re not! We’re just roommates!”

“Eh~” Nagisa nodded understandingly, taking out his cellphone. “I wonder what Haru-chan would say about that. He’s more honest than Rin-chan, after all…”

“Y-you!” Rin knew it was not surprising for Nagisa to pull something like this off. He has everyone inside his little paws all the time after all. He’s got so much control over everyone without anyone knowing. “I told you, we’re not going out or anything.”

Gou looked worriedly at his brother. “You haven’t confessed?” She crossed her arms and said sternly, “You’re too slow! What if someone takes Haruka-senpai away from you?”

It was almost funny how Gou was here pushing him into a relationship while he was trying to stop her from having one. But still… “I don’t need your relationship advice, Gou! On the first place, why are we talking about me? You still need to explain why you chose Nagisa out of everyone! You rejected captain and all, didn’t you? It was a great decision but I don’t get why-”

She sighed in obvious annoyance. “Nii-chan, think about it.” She quietly said. She placed a hand on top of his, telling him to calm down. “Think about Nagisa-kun for a moment, and tell me I’m not supposed to like him.”

And so he did. He thought about how Nagisa brought him back together with Haru. He thought about how Nagisa was always smiling, but he was also the most mature person Rin had ever met. He thought about how Nagisa likes to make everyone happy. He thought about how Nagisa looked like a happy-go-lucky guy but he does his best in training. He thought about how Nagisa has always been there for Gou in all the times she needed him, just as how Nagisa had always been there for the whole club when they needed someone to support them.

Gou was the most charming little girl and Rin wanted the best guy for him. “Ugh,” He groaned inwardly. “But you’re just in high school…” was his weak response.

“Rin-chan, she’s my best friend.” Nagisa said, smiling gently at him. “I can definitely wait. But I want to make her happy now, so I want to ask for your permission properly.”

“Nii-chan, we’re just asking if you would let us  _date._  It’s not marriage or anything.” Gou prodded.

“Yeah. I’ll wait…” Nagisa started counting on his fingers. “I’ll probably wait 4 or 5 years before I ask that!”

Gou’s whole face turned red as she exclaimed a “Nagisa!” Rin immediately hit him on the head while saying “Don’t be so cheeky, brat!”

Nagisa just laughed at the two of them, muttering “Cute~” under his breath.

“I have one condition.” Rin then said after a few more moments of thinking. “If you make her cry, I promise I’ll throw you in a vat of sharks.”

Nagisa shuddered. “Gou-chan, Rinrin is planning my death…” He looked at her for support. Then, as if realizing the solution, he said “Ah… But I won’t make her cry, so I guess I’m fine.” He looked up, thinking deeply. “Does crying from happiness count?” He grinned and stuck out his tongue.

Rin couldn’t help but chuckle. “As long as you make her happy, then.”

“Yosh! Then, can I call you Onii-chan?”

“I’ll  _kill_ you if you do.”

Gou just smiled contently at her boys, watching them fight as she sipped her juice quietly.


	26. cold [makoto x fem!rin]

“It’s not safe here. Go away.” Matsuoka Rin was the most adorable girl in the whole world. And the most difficult to deal with. Also the strongest puncher.

But that is not really the issue here. The problem was, Rin was down with a cold and she refuses to open the door for Makoto. “I want to see you.” He pleaded, knocking on the door again.

“No.” She replied firmly. “I look horrible and I’m contagious.”

“I really doubt that.” He responds, not even able to think of Rin looking horrible. How do you even make that girl look not pretty? Makoto has seen her wake up in the morning with bed hair and with drool on the side of her face, and she still looked beautiful to him (anyone who saw her that day in training camp looking like that could not laugh about it because Nagisa laughed once and he was kicked into the ocean so hard he couldn’t breath and Rei had to save him). He also has seen her sob so much she could barely talk, and someone from the female team called it ‘ugly sobbing’ but Makoto didn’t really understand where the  _ugly_  was.

“Please don’t spout some stupid corny shit today.” Rin groans, already reading his thought process. “I’m fine, really. I’ll be back tomorrow, ready for practice.”

“Don’t come to practice.” This time, he was the one who sounded stern. “Rest properly.”

“The competition is in a month.” She insisted, before breaking out into a coughing fit.

He knocked again, as if that would change something. “Let me in. I want to take care of you.” He pleaded. “I’m worried, Rin. I want to see your face. It’s been three days.”

“I don’t want you to get sick.” She softly said. She sighed, then a click was heard from the knob. She opened the door just a bit. “See? I look horrible.”

 _She was still beautiful._  Saying that would probably sound cheesy though, so Makoto just gently touched her forehead. “Are you sure you’re going to be fine?”

She laughed. “I have the energy to lock you out of my room so doesn’t that mean I’ll be fine?” She was still a bit sick, but Kou was here and Makoto knew that he could trust the younger boy.

He sighed, nodding before placing a light kiss on her forehead. “I’ll tuck you in.” He smiled that charming smile of his. She rolled her eyes and let him in as she went back to her bed. As promised, he tucked her under the blanket with a smile. “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

She scoffed. “You can’t stop me from training.”

He frowned before sitting beside her, bed creaking under his weight. “I won’t leave until you promise me.”

“The competition-” Her words were muffled as he went ahead and kissed her on the lips. “What the hell, Makoto?!” She was  _sick._ What if he catches her cold?! The competition is-!

“Stop talking about the competition.” Makoto had his eyebrows furrowed as he crossed his arms. “Your health is more important.” He insisted. “I’ll kiss you until I get that idea across.”

She sighed. He knew how worried she was about him getting sick. And now he’s using it against her. Sly bastard. Anyone else would probably never think of him as one but Rin knew him more than anyone. Makoto was a sly bastard when he wanted to be. (Haruka would agree and sigh at this, while Nagisa would insist that Makoto was like a sweet but overbearing mother, not a bastard, and then Rei would just shout at Rin for using the word 'bastard’ because it was inappropriate and also lacked the logic of being used in that context).

“Fine.” She glared at him, pouting and hiding behind the blanket to make sure he won’t attack her again. “I’ll quietly rest,  _mom.”_

She could almost  _hear_ him rolling his eyes at her response. Typical Rin behavior when she’s lost. Makoto took the empty plates and glass on the side table, intending to help Kou as much as he can at least.

With one final kiss on her forehead, he whispered “take care”

——————————————————————–

A week later, Rin sits in Makoto’s room and tries very hard not to punch him. “I  _knew_ it.” She sighed, almost feeling guilty. “The competition is-”

He sat up and kissed her on the forehead. “The competition is in less than a month so you shouldn’t be here. You’ll get sick again.”

She glared at him and instead of standing up, she took the tray at her side and placed it on her lap. “I’ll take responsibility and take care of you.”

He laughed a bit at that. Also Typical Rin behavior. What a stubborn girl. “That’s unfair.” He groans, looking at her as if she was bullying him. “You make me want to kiss you.”

“Are you delirious with that fever?!” Rin just spat out, cheeks turning red. “You just shut up and let me take care of you.”

The competition was just 3 weeks from now, but really, Makoto will aways be the most important to Rin.


	27. The Other way Around [MakoRin]

For as long as he remembers, Makoto has been seen as dependable and mature. Even in preschool, he would be treated like everyone’s big brother despite being the same age as everyone. Not to mention, he was considered Haruka’s ‘guardian’ ever since they became friends. The adults trust him to take care of himself, and he is always given responsibilities.

He loved it. He loved the idea of being given that much trust and being treated like a respectable little boy. He did everything in his power to live up to their expectations. Despite being scared of the water, he still swam with Haruka.

But one day, one unfortunate day, everything broke down at his feet. Haruka was drowning. His whole body shook in fear. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated. For a second, he couldn’t speak. Yet he knew, that more than anything he needed to be the usual Makoto. “Aki-chan,” He glanced at their classmate at the side, the first one who saw Haruka drowning. “Please go to the nearest house and ask for help. Call the ambulance.” Still shaking but trying really hard to calm down, he walked to Rin’s side. “It’ll be okay.” He was convincing himself as well. His voice sounded foreign to his ears. Haru would usually hold his hand when he was scared, but Haruka was the one in danger right now. There was no time to be a helpless child.

—

“I was really worried.” Rin quietly said, staring right into his eyes with his lips pursed into a thin line.

The two of them were standing outside of the hospital where Haruka was sent to. Both were calm now, but still a bit shaken. Makoto smiled gently at the other boy, mature facade right in place. “Haru-chan will be fine now. The doctor said so.”

“I’m not worried about Nanase.” The redhead’s fist clenched as he bit his lower lip. He looked upset. “I’m worried about you, Tachibana.”

“Eh?” For a moment, Makoto looked in shock at him. How did Rin know? Was he that obvious? Did his trauma show? He did his best to assist Haruka properly, right? “I’m fine, really.” He answered, trying not to be shaken by Rin’s clear eyes.

Rin stepped forward and took hold of his arm, squeezing just a bit. “You don’t have to act so strong. You’re just the same age as us. That was scary, right?” Without waiting for a reply, Rin enveloped him in a warm hug.

Makoto’s expression softened, unable to keep it in anymore. “It was scary…” His voice was so quiet and it shook just a bit as tears fell from his eyes. His arms wrapped around Rin as well, holding on as his own strength melted away. For once, just this once, he gave himself the chance to be the child he was.

—

6 years later, after all the issues and problems they went through, the whole gang went to the beach as some sort of vacation after a particularly hard training schedule.

Rin and Makoto were drinking juice at the seaside while the others swam like idiots at the sea. Makoto was smiling to himself as he glanced at Rin.

“What is it?” Rin asked, frowning at the taller boy with an almost disgusted expression on his face. “You look weird, Makoto.”

Makoto just laughed at that. “I just remembered something. There was a time you hugged me before, right? When we were 12…”

Rin narrowed his eyes at him. “That’s an old memory. Don’t you dare talk about that to the others.”

“Eh…” Makoto genuinely wanted to tell Gou about her brother’s manliness at that time. “I miss that Rin though. You’ve changed so much…”

“And you haven’t changed a bit” was his simple reply, leaning back on the mat as he stared at the sky. “You’re still stupidly protective of everyone to a fault. Do you even think about  _yourself?_ ”

“I do.” Makoto argued. “Of course I think about myself too.”

“Oh really?” Rin looked like he didn’t believe a word the other boy was saying. “You even swam in the ocean during your training, right? What kind of idiot are you, really?”

Makoto almost pouted at his tone, but then realized what he was implying. “So you knew about that…” He smiled to himself, weirdly pleased with the idea. “Did I worry you?”

“Idiot.” Rin didn’t answer his question, but his blush was enough answer.  _Yes, I’m worried about you idiot._

“Sorry.” Makoto laughed and leaned at the side to look closer at Rin’s embarrassed face. “I’ll be sure not to worry you more.”

At first, he was sure Rin wouldn’t speak anymore. But a few seconds later, he muttered “ _It’s okay. Lean on me when you need to._ ”


	28. Doctor Who AU [harurin]

After being attacked by a group of human-looking reptile creatures from deep under the Iwatobi sea, Haruka was sure nothing would surprise him anymore. He was about to die, anyways. He’ll be lunch to these monsters swimming after him. He’s just human, and he’ll get tired earlier than them. That’s for sure.

The fastest one was gaining on him quick. He exerted more power to his strokes, hoping to reach a safe place somehow.

The “safe place” came to him in the form of a red-haired, grinning guy with sharp teeth swimming towards him. He showed no fear. As if he owned the seas, he swam forward quickly. As fluid as the water, as if he was part of the ocean. He smiled and pulled at Haruka, then pointed a glowing stick towards the monsters. The water surrounding them produced ominous-looking bubbles. With that, the redhead seemed to think it was safe to escape.

Not really. One of the strongest-looking ones still went forward, hot on their trail.

Haruka frowned and pulled the mysterious guy to the other side. When the monster got too close, he used the other guy as support to be able to kick the monster. He had that kind of training, at least (it was for swimming faster, not for defeating underwater monsters, but as long as it worked, right?)

The guy’s eyes widened in delight upon seeing that, obviously extremely excited. He grabbed Haruka’s arm tightly before swimming quickly towards a certain direction.

—

When they were finally safe in a cave away from the sea, Haruka huffed and sat on the sand while panting heavily. That was so much more tiring than any competition he had ever joined. “Who… are you?” He asked, after a full minute.

The guy didn’t even looked tired. Rather, he looked extremely happy about everything. Weirdo. Who even smiles after being attacked by a bunch of monsters of the sea? “Me? Oh, just a traveler.” He glanced at his feet, then to his chest and arms. “Oooh, I’m a muscle man. That’s new. I’ve never been much of a muscle man before. Athletic build. Nice.” He looked like he was inspecting his body. And commenting on it. Really a weirdo. “And…” He pulled at his hair and glanced up. “OH! REDHEAD!” His eyes were wide in excitement. “Finally! I’m a redhead! Oh but it’s such a weird color… it’s more like red violet, isn’t it?” He frowned. He looked at Haru for the first time. “I look very athletic, don’t I?”

Haruka frowned but nodded anyway. This guy had a swimmer’s build.

“Not talkative, huh?” He pouted. “Oh well. What’s your name?” He peered curiously at him

“I’m Haruka.” He answered easily, not the type to elaborate at all. “Who are you?” Haruka repeated.

“Oh!” He laughed and sat down in front of Haruka. “Sorry, I forgot my manners. Regeneration, you see. It’s a lottery so I never know how weird I might look. It’s so much excitement, I couldn’t keep it in!”

Haruka did not understand a word he was saying.

“Anyway, I’m the Doctor.” He grinned before standing up. “I need to show you something.”

“Doctor…” Haruka glanced at his feet and wondered if he was dreaming all these up and this guy is his subconscious telling him he just needs a doctor. A psychiatrist or something? “Is that so…”

The Doctor looked at him with a grimace. “No question of ‘doctor? who?’…? ” He looked very disappointed. He sighed and pulled at Haru’s arm. “Let’s go. I’m going to make you react even if I have to show you tricks.” He nodded resolutely, looking quite determined to stick with this promise. He continued pulling Haruka until they were in front of a blue police telephone box. It wasn’t something Haruka would usually see. Actually, it’s more like… it’s Haruka’s first time to see a box like that. In the middle of a cave, too. “Open it!” He looked like he would hop around in excitement.

Haruka sighed tiredly and pushed the door just to get it over and done with. “…” His eyes widened as he saw a huge room with different apparatus inside. “It’s big.” He muttered, walking inside.

“ _Bigger on the inside,_ ” The Doctor corrected, still a bit disappointed but obviously amused by Haruka’s wide-eyed expression. Making him react was a definite treat. It was like winning some kind of award. Oh. Competitive. That was probably one of this regeneration’s trait. He felt it in his blood. Oh… Determination and competitiveness, huh? What a great combination. He watched Haruka with a smile. “It’s a space ship and a time machine.”

“Oh.” Haruka just looked at him with those sparkling eyes.

“All of time and space, where would you like to go?” He asked, spreading his arms on both sides as if to show how grand the scale of things are.

After a beat, Haruka quietly replied, “A  _safe_  ocean…”

The Doctor laughed a long, amused laugh. “What a strange request.” He pulled some levers and pushed some buttons until the strange device in the middle made a “woo-wee-woo” sound. "The ocean it is! The most beautiful ocean you could ever see!“

Light shining behind him, he showed a wide smile and exclaimed,  ** _"I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before, Haru!”_**


	29. Shopping Center AU [polyrin? maybe?]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin bakes western cakes and is obsessed with producing romantic events for his bakery/cafe. Haruka makes Traditional Japanese Sweets and doesn’t care about any advertisement or promos. Makoto is the cashier for Haruka’s shop, who also acts as a spokesperson for the quiet patissier. Rei helps out in his mom’s bento shop while studying in University, and Nagisa is his classmate who delivers the bentos.

I.

 

“I was checking the competition.” Rin grumbled, glaring at the box on the table. “I was  _just_ checking the competition.”

“And his ass.” Nagisa grinned widely, munching on a daifuku bought from the rival store down the street. “I saw all of it, Rin-chan. You  _like_ Haru-chan, don’t you?”

There was as a crease on his forehead as he stared at the daifuku, as if staring hard enough would make it disappear. “No.” He said with finality. “Definitely not.” He sighed. “I was just… fascinated.”

“ _With his ass?_ ” Nagisa giggled.

“ _Damnit Nagisa_ , we’re not talking about his ass.” Rin grumbled. “I was fascinated by those sweets.”

Nagisa rolled his eyes. “You’re always in denial.” He was munching happily, obviously very sure about himself. “Okay let’s compromise. You like his sweets  _and_ his ass.”

Rin just muttered to himself about how completely insufferable and idiotic Nagisa is, standing up and taking the box away from the younger boy before he could finish it off. “I’m going to give this to Gou.” He said, placing it away as Nagisa reached out for another one. “Aren’t you late for your part time? Rei’s waiting for you, isn’t he?”

Rolling his eyes, Nagisa stood up and wiped his mouth with his sleeves. “I’m not lazing around! Gou-chan ordered a bento so I delivered it properly as Rei-chan instructed.” He pouted and took his bag. “You’re not a good host at all.”

“You’re not a guest, idiot.” Rin just chuckled and went to the back of the store where Gou was eating her lunch. “I bought you some daifuku.” He said as soon as his sister was in sight.

She smiled widely. “You’ve met Nanase-san?” She giggled and took the box from him. “I knew you’d like him.”

“I  _don’t.”_  He groaned. Why the hell are everyone so-

“I mean, you like his shop and the way he makes sweets, right?” Gou laughed.

Another sigh. How many sighs have he made today? “What’s the point in being fascinated with a rival?” He scratched the back of his neck. “Damnit. I’ll bake something much more delicious than that, for sure.” He took his apron and started going through his recipe notebook. His eyes were serious as he grew quiet at the side.

Gou just smiled, took her bento and went to the bakery cashier. “It’s totally different though,” she muttered, knowing full well that won’t stop her brother from being competitive anyway. They owned a Western-style bakery with lots of fancy cakes and even a small cafe that offers coffee and tea. Haruka Nanase owned the Traditional Japanese sweet shop down the street at the opposite side of the Shopping Center.

“Excuse me,”

She looked up in surprise to see an embarrassed Tachibana Makoto on the door. “Welcome!” She smiled professionally. Why would he come here?

“Um, I- I was wondering-” Makoto scratched his cheek, obviously shy about something. “Ah, I… I went here to buy your specialty cake?” He asked. “I think Haru-chan… He’s our patissier. I think he’s curious about your cakes.”

“Oh.” She smiled wider. “Just a moment, please!”

—

Nagisa, who was definitely lazing around in front of the shop (Rei would scold him but he wasn’t really scared), saw the whole thing from outside. He smiled to himself. “Oh~ This is getting interesting~”

 

II.

 

Rin just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Despite saying “I’m checking the competition”, he wasn’t really going there with rivalry in mind. He just wanted to see if Nanase was really a magician when it comes to making sweets. (And to know what was so good about traditional sweets. They were all so simple and only had one shape and didn’t have much designs and… they’re just  _so different_ from the western cakes he makes, which really disconcerts him. Why do people like this stuff?)

But when he arrived there, and he saw Nanase spreading powder atop the sweets, he thought he saw an illusion. A small smile was on his face and he looked like he was in his own world. The powder looked like it was shining in his hands, like magic dust in a wizard’s palm.

“Wow…” Rin couldn’t help but utter, eyes wide.

That broke Nanase’s concentration, and he looked up with a deep frown. “Ugh,” He actually groaned in annoyance. He glanced one more time at Rin then walked back to the kitchen. A few seconds later, a tall boy, Makoto Tachibana, walked out and stood behind the cash register. He was smiling apologetically as he bowed and said “Welcome!”

“Does Nanase still hate people or something?” He asked, glaring at the curtain separating the shop and the kitchen. “Still so anti-social…” Almost everyone knew everyone in this district. Businesses were passed from parents to their children so most of the shopping district’s shops were centuries old which has passed through generations. Rin wasn’t particularly close to Nanase and Tachibana, since they studied in different schools and Rin had to go to France to study for a while. All he knew was Nanase was that kid who always glared at him for some reason, and Tachibana was that kid who was always with Nanase and the one who always said sorry for his best friend.

Tachibana smiled gently, as he always does. “He probably just didn’t like being seen. At this time, no one really comes so he might have been surprised to be seen while doing the final touch.”

Rin raised an eyebrow at that. “Weirdo.” Still, the image was vivid in his mind. Nanase had a small smile and he was sparkling like a magician.

“So, what do we owe this wonderful visit for?” The gentle smile turned into a slightly teasing one. Well, Tachibana had that side too, didn’t he? When they were young, perhaps because he was always the spokesperson for the grumpy Nanase, he and Rin would talk a few times and somehow they’ve developed a unique not-so-close, but still-pretty-close relationship. That was why the ever so polite Tachibana Makoto could change into his rightful teenage self in front of Rin.

“I was just… thinking of buying something for Gou.” Well, that was an acceptable excuse, right?

Tachibana’s smile widened. “Oh.” He chuckled. “What a nice big brother.”

Rin raised an eyebrow. “I don’t want to hear that from the  _World’s Best Nii-chan~”_ He said the last phrase with a high-pitched tone, the way Ran would proudly announce to anyone who would listen. “Not gonna compete with that.” He eased up and smiled as he looked at their display. “I have no idea what these are.” He didn’t say he was having a hard time with the kanji, since that would be embarrassing. (Studying overseas had their disadvantages, okay?)

As if fully understanding though, Tachibana took some strawberry daifuku from the display and placed it in front of Rin. “Try tasting one. It’s on the house. That way, you could decide if you want this for Kou-chan.”

“Your treat?” Rin grinned as he took the sweets by the wrapper and brought it to his lips. He closed his eyes to savor the taste. “Oh.” It was delicious. Definitely not what he’d expect from that plain looking circular thing. He chewed slowly, thinking deeply about the taste. “It was mixed just a bit too hard… and I guess I shocked him so the powder was less proportionate… But it’s good.  _Really_ good.”

Tachibana glanced at the curtain and exclaimed “Did you hear that?”

A few moments passed before a soft “yeah, thanks” was heard from the kitchen.

Rin’s eyes widened. “Did he just-?”

Laughing out loud, Tachibana nodded. “A box then? Nine pieces?”

“Yeah, sure…” Rin’s eyebrows were furrowed at the idea of Nanase actually thanking him.

“He looks up to you, you know.” The cashier whispered, only loud enough for the other guy to hear. “You know a lot about sweets and studied abroad, right? And even when we were young, you excelled in the cooking competitions already. Of course Haru-chan values your opinion.” His tone was proud, as if he was personally delighted at Rin’s achievements. “It’s a huge help for our shop.” He smiled brightly, then in his normal voice he said, “Please come back again!”


	30. Fem!Rin x Haruka

I.

 

_Rin could almost hear Makoto’s ‘Rin-chan! That’s not proper behavior for a girl!’ but she really didn’t care. Haruka was a slow idiot who should take her seriously or else… “Fight me properly!” She yelled, dragging him closer by the goggles on his neck. “Is that all you’ve got?”_

_Haruka looked away, narrowing his eyes and muttering “Let’s race again, then.” He looked tired, as if one lap was enough to exhaust all his strength away._

_“Don’t be distracted now.” She spat out in anger, eyeing him seriously._

_Watching closely, Nagisa and Rei sighed at the same time. “Haru-chan has it hard.” Nagisa said, clearly sympathetic of the older boy. Rei nodded. “Rin-san doesn’t even notice how hard it is for Haruka-senpai to focus. Who can focus when your girlfriend is wearing a new bikini like that?”_

 

II.

 

_Haru was no romantic. Far from it, really. Actually, he might as well be called the exact opposite of romantic. He had a hard time with emotions, and found so many things about it just troublesome. Dates were troublesome. Gifts were troublesome. Elaborate plans were troublesome. He really just wanted to swim. He just wanted to be free underwater._

_But after meeting Rin… he does try. “Here,” he whispers, patting Rin’s shoulder to make him stop. The girl had her eyes blindfolded for the increase of excitement (Rei was a spartan coach when it comes to “romantic things to do for your girlfriend” but he had great ideas so Haru actually stuck with him for an hour). “Open your eyes now.” He knelt down for added effect (another useful tip from master lover Rei-sensei)._

_“Haru…” Her eyes widened upon noticing him. “You’re-” He looked at the pool behind Haru, a pool full of cherry blossoms. Her dream scenario._

_“Will you…” Haru took out a small box and opened it. “Will you…”_   
  


_Rin stared at the stupid-looking Iwatobi-chan figure inside the box. “What.”_

_“Will you go to the mascot festival with me?” Haru’s eyes were shining that brilliant blue, the one that showed both sincerity and excitement._

_God, what an idiot. “Haru, stand up.” She almost laughed. He was a bit idiot. Her idiot. Her wonderful, stupidly innocent but also annoyingly clueless idiot. (Though only at love, for some reason!) “Of course I’ll go with you.” This time, she really did giggle at the brightening of his eyes. Oh how she loved those eyes. “I’ll go with you any time.” No need for theatrics, she wanted to say. But then that would probably make him stop researching about romance, which is really something she didn’t want him to stop. She grinned. “Let’s swim?”_

_He blinked. “You have your swimsuit on?”_

_That was her cue. One seductive smile, a predatory smirk then a shrug. ‘Maybe I’ll give you a reward for all your efforts’ was what she meant._

 

 

III.

 

_12 years old Rin basically burst through Haruka’s life and stayed there. That girl with the bright smile and the weird ideas. The girl who insists on pulling Haruka to a race he didn’t want to join from the start (he’d forever deny the curiosity he felt whenever he saw her swim)._

_“I only swim Free.” Haru quietly replied._

_“I’m not asking you to swim another way, Nanase!” Rin sighed and placed her head on the desk. “You’re acting like a girl.”_

_Haruka wanted to point out that Rin was a girl and she must have forgotten it or something, but it was too troublesome so he kept quiet._

_“We have to join the relay together!” She insisted._

_Haruka wanted to groan in annoyance. “Girls and boys are placed in different teams.”_

_“Which is why I’m going to pretend to be a boy. I’ll come as Kou, my brother.” She stared at Haruka with bright, determined eyes. She was serious about her plan. “It’s gonna be great!”_

_“It won’t work.” He muttered, taking his bag and walking away. Why was Rin so obsessed with him, anyway?_

IV.

 

_“If I were a girl, I’d grow my hair long! Like Rapunzel~” Nagisa smiled widely at Rin and Rei, eyes shining brightly. He had been surprised upon seeing Rei, who had shoulder-length hair before, don a shorter hairstyle, one that was akin to Rin’s boy’s-cut. He did tell his girlfriend about his preference for long-haired girls, so now he was obviously being passive-aggressive._

_“If you were a girl, you’d skinny dip in our pool and not feel any shame.” Rin noted, rolling her eyes. “You’re not exactly a role-model.”_

_Nagisa pouted. “This is your fault, Rin-chan!” He crossed his arms and huffed angrily (or as angry as he could pretend with Rin, which is really not that much). “You keep saying shorter hair helps swimming and you put ideas on Rei-chan’s head!”  
_

_Before Rin could say some sarcastic quip, the door opened and a soaked Haruka came in. He probably just finished practice. Upon seeing Rei, he stopped in his tracks and muttered a “Oh. It’s short.”_

_And of course, Rin, being her ever so paranoid self, stood up and exclaimed a “You don’t like it?” despite the fact that it wasn’t even her hair they were talking about._

_Haruka closed the door behind him calmly and walked over, sitting on the bench and taking his towel from the locker. “It’s fine.” He shrugged._

_“Fine?” Rin sounded incredulous. “So you like longer hair better, don’t you?”_

_Rei and Nagisa looked at each other. “It’s not about me at all, is it?” Rei muttered to her boyfriend as he started inching to the door. There were only two thing that might happen from here on: either they fight and Rin would throw anything near her to Haru, or Haru placates her and they make out. Nagisa wanted to be as far as possible from here whatever they choose to do. “Well then, we’ll go ahead.” Nagisa dragged Rei away and closed the door behind him.  
_

_“I never said anything like that.” Haru replied after a long while, sighing tiredly. Rei should really write a manual on how to handle Rin’s temper flares (Rei handled them so well, with sass and class). He looked up innocently. “It looked nice on Rei.” He watched Rin squirm under his gaze. “It looks better on you.” He added, because he did think so. Longer hair suited Rei because he seemed like that type. Haruka was used to Rin’s hairstyle and he loved lacing his fingers in it, combing it when they kiss…_

_Rin blushed harder. “Stop staring at me.” She spat out, embarrassed of her own thoughts earlier (why did she ever think about Haru’s preference anyway?) and right now (the feel of his hands entangled in her hair, lightly massaging her scalp when they shower together…)_

_“I want to kiss you.” Haru said quietly but with a certain strength in it as he stood up and walked towards Rin. “Can I?”_

_Her face was the same color of her hair now. Haru always takes her by surprise like this, with his stupidly timed honesty. “F-fine.” She muttered, closing her eyes as Haruka leaned forward._

 

_Nagisa found out the next day that his guess was indeed right, judging from the bright red bite mark on Haruka’s shoulder. He giggled and noted that “the fight must have hurt”, to which a blushing Rei replied with a “that doesn’t look like a bite mark from a fight…”_

 

V.

 

_“Rin-chan, I don’t think you’re supposed to be here.” Makoto quietly said, frowning. He looked around in nervousness. “Didn’t Aki ask you to be in their relay? You should practice with the girls…”_

_There was a clear frown in Rin’s face. “It’s unfair. I want to be in the same relay as Nanase.”_

_Haruka glanced at her before diving into the pool. Usual Haruka, Rin thought. But instead of swimming forward like usual, Haruka just stood there, slightly submerged by the pool. He stared at the water for a while then sighed. “Let’s race.” He quietly said._

_“What?” Rin was taken aback by that. Was he-?_

_“Let’s race.” Haruka looked at her with those clear, determined eyes. “Rin,”_

_A soft blush covered her cheeks as she nodded in excitement. “Okay!” She dived in flawlessly, taking her place in the lane next to him. “Thanks!”_

_Haruka, with all his 12 years old mind, can’t quite grasp either why girls and boys has to be separated in the race. When it comes down to it, Rin is the only one who can catch up to him and even be faster than him. There wasn’t any difference in skill at all. Even if he doesn’t quite accept it, there were also times when Rin would seem to be more accepted by the water than him. Why did their gender matter? Why would they have to be separated? “Would you join the relay?” Unconsciously, he said that out loud._

_Rin grinned widely. “Do you think I could pass as a boy and join your team?”_

_“No.” Haruka knew it would be way too obvious. Rin, despite being flat-chested and having short hair, was still a girl. Her dad would kill her if she actually went out there in just swim trunks. “Don’t do that.” Not only would it be scandalous, it would also probably be a traumatic experience to a growing girl. She’d regret it, definitely. “Don’t,” He repeated, for good measure._

_Laughing to herself, Rin shook her head as if Haruka said something really amusing. “Of course I won’t. I did think about it, but it would just be stupid, right?” She laughed some more, then suddenly looked down. “If only I was born a boy. I could have joined the relay with you guys.”_

_“Aki is fast too.” Haru said offhandedly, his best try at comforting._

_Rin smiled, appreciating the effort. Haruka saying this much in one conversation is record enough. “She is. I’d work hard to make our team the best team.”_

_“Good luck.” That was the end of the conversation. It probably was the limit to Haruka’s social skill. He looked up at Makoto, who immediately smiled in encouragement._

_“Okay!” Makoto announced, as if Haruka asked him to do something. “On the count of three! One, two,” Both Rin and Haruka went in position. “Three!”_

_Just like that, Rin’s frustrations was washed away by the water. And by Haruka’s words._

_—_

_“Remember that time you wanted to pose as a boy and pretend to be Kou?” Haruka mused, a shadow of a smirk on his lips. “It would have been a sight.”_

_“A sight you’ll never see, asshole.” Rin retorted, lightly pushing at his side._

_This time, he did smile. “Don’t I have private viewing rights?”_

_Her whole face turned red. “Nanase Haruka, you’re prohibited from sneaking into my dormitory tonight.”_

_He almost rolled his eyes. “I don’t sneak into your dorm.” They meet up in the pool at night, when they want to. He was never the type to actually sneak into a girl’s dorm, right?_

_“I won’t meet you either.” She added, her own smirk in place. “For a while.”_

_He looked down and weighed his options. “Then let’s race right now.” He said, challenging tone as usual. “Whoever wins get to decide.”_

_She nodded, her expression turning into one full of determination. “You won’t win this time.”_

_Haruka just went into place. ‘I’ll definitely win.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonus:  
> #'Have I mentioned how much I love the idea of chibi girl rin#because wow all the angst would come from the fact that she's a girl and Haru's a boy#and they can't swim in one team #and when she matures she starts hating her own body#and only Haruka's words and racing against Haruka makes her calm down'


	31. Start of Something New [SouMako]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was written a solid six months before kyoani mentioned sousuke in the magazines because i am a trendsetter

Tachibana Makoto first saw Sousuke in the day of their relay. To be honest, Makoto was just a little bit curious at the guy Rin was smiling at. There was just a question of ‘who is that guy with Rin?’ but that was it. He never thought about him again.

And then 6 years later, in a cherry blossoms viewing party, Rin arrived with the rest of his Samezuka team. With a huge smile, he introduced the new addition to their team: Yamazaki Sousuke. “You probably met him before in competitions. He was my classmate in Sano Elementary!” Rin’s whole face was lit up with excitement as he gestured towards his best friend.

Makoto had heard about Sousuke from Rin a lot of times. Just as how Makoto understands Haruka without words, Sousuke does the same for Rin. Once, Rin kept on laughing as he pointed out that both Sousuke and Makoto had green (Sousuke’s was a lighter shade) hair and were painfully mature for their age. He wanted the two to meet, he said. “You’ll love him!” he assured.

It was like a prophecy, those words.

“Yamazaki Souzuke. Nice to meet you, Tachibana-san.” He was polite and had a nice deep voice. His smile was a mixture of nervousness and pleasantry. When they shook hands, his grip was strong and firm. Staring at the hand with surprised eyes, Makoto realized their hands were about the same size.

Sousuke was smaller than him, having a build similar to Rin except taller. He had an air of elegance to him, along with that unmistakable maturity. But when he laughs and talks with Rin, a playful smile was always on his face. He was competitive and hard-working like Rin. He shared different psychology and physics theories with Rei. Like Nagisa, he was cheerful and friendly. And sometimes, just like Haru, he could be extremely blunt.

He was a mystery and an open book at the same time.

Makoto craved to know more.

——-

“Tachibana-san…” Sousuke looked up from reading his magazine (it was Muscle Monthly). His tone showed how surprised he was of the visit. “Rin’s at their house. His mom blackmailed him into helping out in the house.” He was, for some reason, lounging inside Rin’s room despite the owner of the room not being inside. Since they were in their senior year, they both had separate rooms to focus on their studies. Sousuke either went here before Rin went home, or Rin left the door open for some reason. “Um, Tachibana-san?”

Makoto stopped staring and spluttered an excuse. “S-sorry I didn’t mean to stare.” He smiled a bit, awkward and apologetic at the same time. “I was just wondering why Yamazaki-kun is staying here in Rin-chan’s room.”

A huge smile appeared on his face. “I’m searching for clues.” He lowered his voice, as if he was about to say a huge secret. “About whether or not he will give Nanase a gift on Christmas Day.”

“…eh?” Makoto blinked, confused. “Can’t you just ask him?”

He snickered, shaking his index finger in front of him as if saying how wrong Makoto was. “This is a very delicate manner. Rin’s an idiot, you see.” He explained this very solemnly, as if it wasn’t an insult to his best friend. Well, there was a fond tone to it, anyhow. “If I ask him, he’ll destroy all evidences and ultimately not give anything to Nanase.” He shook his head dramatically. “We can’t allow such a bad outcome.”

Makoto couldn’t help but laugh at Sousuke’s expression. “I didn’t know Yamazaki-kun could act like this.”

He blinked, then smiled that mature smile again. “Am I not like usual?”

 _Shifting back to normal without any effort, that’s unfair~_  Makoto wanted to protest. But then, he realized what he needed to do. Looking around in panic, he checked if Sousuke had opened anything. Rin was a very orderly person so anything out of its place would be noticed. “Th-this is a serious case of invasion of privacy, you know!” He said, acting as the voice of reason.

Sousuke sighed and laughed a bit. “Not if he won’t notice” He glanced up at  Makoto and asked, “Should I buy your silence with a meal?” He grinned. “Let’s eat somewhere right now. My treat. Then, nothing I’ve said leaves this room. Deal?”

Makoto didn’t have any intention to say it to anyone, on the first place. And the idea of being treated to lunch was pretty novel for him somehow. He always ate with Haruka and he would most often than not pay the bill. Being treated out was a rare luxury. With a pleasant smile, he nodded. “Buy my silence then.”

——–

“Say, shouldn’t you start calling me Sou-chan or something?” Sousuke asked out of the blue, lips forming a cute pout. He stabbed at his rice bowl and stared at Makoto. “I feel like an outsider.”

Makoto blinked in surprise, eyes wide. “Eh? Do you want me to?”

Sousuke closed his eyes and scratched his cheek, thinking deeply. “It’s not like I want to be called Sou-chan particularly… Nagisa does that already.” He started, gathering his thoughts. “It’s just… 'Yamazaki-kun’ is pretty distant, don’t you think?” He grinned, eyes bright as he looked right at Makoto. “You can call me anything that’s comfortable with you, but I’d appreciate it if we’re at first-name basis. Right,  _Makoto?"_

His heart totally did  _not_  skip a beat just then. And his face is definitely  _not_ warming up. Nope. It’s just the heat from his bowl wafting to his cheeks. "Sousuke-kun, then?” He bargained. Using [-chan] on Sousuke seemed a bit off, for some reason.

He chuckled, playful smile on his lips. “Ah, I can’t use the 'don’t add a -chan’ response huh?”

They both laughed at that, remembering both Rin and Haruka saying the same things. “Somehow it doesn’t fit Yamazaki-kun’s image.”

“Oi,  _Makoto."_ Sousuke used a stern, warning tone.

"Ah, yes,  _Sousuke-kun_.”

——-

“Would you meet Sou-chan today?” Nagisa asked, sitting on the empty chair in front of Makoto’s desk. Swimming practice was cancelled today so everyone else went home already (Haruka went off to Samezuka to ask Rin to practice with him somehow).

“Yama- Sousuke-kun?” Makoto almost laughed at his own blunder. It would probably take a long time before he could say his name properly. Nagisa, as usual, was able to somehow make a cute nickname and use it easily. “I’m not really sure…” He hasn’t checked his mail yet and he was pretty sure practice at Samezuka was still ongoing. They  _did_  have an indoor pool. “We didn’t really talk about meeting.”

Nagisa blinked innocently and noted “But you’re always eating out with Sou-chan lately. When you’re not with Haru-chan, at least.”

Makoto stared at Nagisa’s face, a bit confused. “Really? I didn’t notice that…” What started as a 'bribe’ lunch became a bi-weekly hanging-out in the cafe near Iwatobi (Sousuke passes there everyday while jogging with Rin). He never really noticed how often they ate out lately. Time seemed to pass by quickly when he’s in that cafe. “Haru-chan and Rin-chan eats with us too.”

“…and then they go swimming in the public pool and leave you, right?” Nagisa asked. “You and Sou-chan seems really close now!”

——-

Makoto thought deeply about that. He admits he was pretty curious about Sousuke, and ended up talking to him about various things. Hearing about Rin’s embarrassing stories when they were young was very interesting and fun. Talking about Haruka and Rin’s relationship, given how it was awkward to talk about it to other people, was also something he looked forward to. Seeing Sousuke’s different sides (the mature side, the stubborn side, the playful side, etc.) was a joy to experience. He was able to talk about his own worries too, with school and his family. That was something he couldn’t quite do with the others. He doesn’t want to bother anyone with his problems… but with Sousuke, he somehow ends up saying every worry. Sousuke was a great listener too.

Without Makoto realizing, he started thinking of Sousuke as a very close friend.

“Yo!” Speak of the devil. Sousuke plopped down unceremoniously on the seat in front of Makoto in their usual booth in the cafe. “I didn’t think you’d be here.” He smiled that mature smile of his again. “Aren’t Ran-chan and Ren-kun looking forward to play with their beloved nii-san?”

Makoto smiled back and shook his head. “They’re having an overnight camping trip.” He explained, sipping his coffee. He wasn’t really waiting for Sousuke. Rather, he was just consumed by his thoughts that he didn’t notice it was getting late.

Sousuke leaned forward and stared at him. “Is there a problem? You seem… hm, out-of-it?” His lips turned down into a concerned frown. “Are you worried about your siblings?” He crossed his arms and looked outside. “The rain’s not that bad…”

“Oh. I checked it with the teacher already.” Makoto smiled softly, shaking his head as if saying there wasn’t any problem at all. “They’re staying at a safe place. There’s no problem at all.”

“Then why are you sad?” Sousuke asked, eyebrows furrowed. He continued staring at Makoto, reading every change in his expression.

“I’m not-”

Sousuke sighed and raised his hand in a 'stop’ motion. “Please, Makoto, it’s bad to hide your feelings, you know?” He looked at him sternly. “Rin mentioned to me once, how you always seems to hide your problems. That’s no good at all.”

Makoto remembers the times Rin would looked worriedly at him and ask him what was the matter. Rin would always say Makoto was too stubborn for keeping quiet about his secrets. Sousuke was  _really_  Rin’s clone, wasn’t he? “I’m…” He wondered what he should say. Should he make up an excuse or a random problem? Or should he be truthful… “I’m not really sad. I swear. I’m just thinking about something…” That wasn’t a lie. Besides, he wasn’t even sure what was really bothering him.

“Thinking about what?” Sousuke asked curiously.

 _'You’_  would be the cheesiest and stupidest answer he could give. So instead, he smiled and said “I was wondering if Haru-chan went to Samezuka.” He knew the answer but it was a good excuse.

“Oh.” Sousuke looked down at the table and for a moment, he looked a bit pained. The expression was gone as quickly as it appeared. “He did. He watched practice and then they went off to the beach.” He smiled and looked up at Makoto. “Haruka-san really spends lots of time with Rin now, doesn’t he? Are you lonely?”

Makoto laughed lightly. “No… Oh, but I guess I am, just a bit.” There was amusement in his eyes as he said “I’ve been with Haru-chan for as long as I remember, after all.”

——-

It was a weekend when a hyperactive Ran jumped up and down on his bed and woke him up while shouting “A guest! A guest for Nii-chan!” Makoto groaned and sat up, tickling Ran in the process. With a laugh, he said “Let’s go” He went to his bathroom to quickly wash his face, then walked to the living room with Ran.

“Ah. Rin.” Makoto stared wide-eyed at him. “Why…?”

Rin looked apologetic. “It’s too early, isn’t it… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay!” Makoto simply smiled and sat on the other sofa. “What brings you here?”

“It’s a bit…” Rin glanced at the big smile on Ran’s face. He fiddled with his bracelet uncomfortably. “It’s about Sousuke.”

Makoto frowned and stood up. “Should we talk in my room?”

“Yeah.” They were silent as they walked to the room (with Ran exclaiming an annoyed 'that’s unfair!’). Makoto wondered what it might be about. Worry and anxiousness filled his mind. Did he do something wrong? Did anything happen to Sousuke-kun? Why was Rin so uncomfortable with someone else hearing it? “Makoto,” Rin sat down on his study chair while Makoto sat down on his bed. “What do you feel about Sousuke?”

“Eh?” Makoto frowned. “What do you mean…?” He didn’t understand his own feelings either, so asking him was useless. He enjoyed hanging out with Sousuke, looked forward to seeing him, was curious about his personality, and he felt happy whenever he saw a new side of Sousuke. It wasn’t quite the same feeling as he had with Haruka or Rin or Nagisa or Rei.

Rin sighed and looked down on his hands. “I just don’t want my best friend to get hurt. And I’m worried about you.”

Makoto forced out a laugh. “What are you worried about? We’re good friends.”

“And that’s it? For you?” Rin looked at him with sad eyes. Somehow, he actually looked heart-broken, as if Makoto was rejecting him or something. “You’re just-”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” Makoto looked down, clenching his hands into fists. “Why are you doing this?"  _I’m confused as it is! Why would you even-_

Before Rin could answer, the door opened with a bang. Sousuke was standing there, panting as if he just ran to here. "Rin!” His expression showed extreme anger. It was the first time Makoto saw him like that. It looked like he’ll punch his best friend any time soon. Why was he so angry?

“I’m sorry.” Rin frowned and stood up, shoulders slumped. He looked at Sousuke with those sad eyes before walking to the door. “I was just-”

“ _I know._  But I don’t need that.” Sousuke answered, understanding Rin with just a glance. He calmed down a bit, his tense shoulders relaxing. “You shouldn’t bother Makoto just because you’re worried about me.”

Rin scrunched up his nose and messed his hair. “I’m not even really worried about  _you._ Rather, I’m worried about Makoto and how your idiotic actions would make him feel.” He sighed heavily and glanced at Makoto. “Tell me if he does anything to you. I’m going to punch him so hard.”

“Yeah, yeah, will you please get out? You’re being a nuisance now.” Sousuke said, shooing Rin with a slightly serious but slightly teasing voice. “ _I’ll be okay._ ”

——

When Rin went out, Sousuke sat on his place and crossed his arms. He sighed and started with an apology. “I’m sorry for all the fuss. Rin’s being a busybody for some reason.”

“What did he mean when he said he was worried about me?” Makoto asked, frowning. “I don’t understand.” There were too many things he didn’t understand in this situation. Why was Sousuke so angry earlier? Why was Rin worried? What did that glance earlier mean and what did Sousuke understand with Rin’s expression?

That painful expression passed on his face again, but it stayed longer and seemed to contain more sadness than before. Then, he smiled and explained with a steady voice: “He’s worried I might confuse you or do something that will bother you. You’re so considerate of others that it’s so likely that instead of rejecting someone, you’ll feel guilty all by yourself and-”

“W-wait!” Makoto’s eyes were wide as he stood up and stepped forward towards him. “Reject? You’re…"  _Did he mean- Was he going to-_

A hollow laugh escaped Sousuke’s lips. "Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect this to happen… I mean, yeah, I was curious about you and why Rin always talked about you. But when we hung out more, I guess I realized more why everyone liked being around you and… it was… well, it was more than I ever expected. And I know you’re already focused on Haruka but…”

“Sousuke-kun, do you like me?” Makoto really couldn’t comprehend that possibility. He was so sure that pained look was because Sousuke himself was feeling lonely about being left by his best friend. Never did he expect it to be because of  _him_. Though he was thinking about Sousuke too, about enjoying his company and all, he never thought Sousuke would think about it too. The thought of Sousuke liking him brought butterflies in his stomach and something warm erupted in his chest.  _Was it possible to be this happy just from finding out a possibility?_

Sousuke’s whole face grew red as he nodded. He looked down and hid his face in both hands. He looked both embarrassed and scared. Another new side Makoto got the pleasure to see.

 _An embarrassed Sousuke? Somehow, that’s so cute_ … Makoto smiled wider, walking closer. He knelt in front and peeked at his face. “Sousuke-kun,” He reached out and took his hand away from his face. “I like you too.” His smile was full of joy and a soft blush was on his cheeks. “ _I really like you._ ”

——— EXTRA ———

“So it all worked well, huh?” Rin sighed in relief as he sat down beside Sousuke in the booth in their usual cafe. Makoto, who was sitting in front of him, smiled gratefully. “I’m sorry I barged in, but god Sousuke was being slow and idiotic.”

Makoto laughed and remarked with a teasing voice “He’s really similar to Rin-chan, isn’t he? It’s the same thing that happened with Haru-chan.”

“O-oi!” Rin blushed.

“That’s why he had to speak up and went to your house at such an early time” Sousuke said with a grin. While he was certainly pretty angry that Rin did that, he was also sure he would do something similar to Rin if he saw Rin having a problem with Haruka. That kind of understanding was both an advantage and a disadvantage, after all. “He saw himself in me.”

Rin sighed and meekly agreed. “Yeah, yeah, I guess that was it.” He then glared at Sousuke and said “If you ever hurt Makoto, I’ll really kill you.”

Sousuke couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I’m more scared about Haruka-san, you know.” Just thinking of that blunt boy being angry at him… it’s enough to make him shiver in fear.

After a brief silence, Rin nodded. “Yeah, he's  _definitely_ scarier. You really wouldn’t want to make Makoto cry. He has an army.” Rin and Haruka aren’t the only ones who would go after him. Nagisa and Rei and Gou and half the population of both Samezuka and Iwatobi would. Makoto was an angel for everyone, after all. Even the cats in the neighborhood would be after Sousuke’s case if he ever hurts Makoto.

Makoto chuckled, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. He was loved by so many people. He was really blessed. “Thanks, Rin-chan.”

Rin smiled back fondly. “And Makoto, tell me if this guy’s being an idiot, okay?”

“Oi, oi, how come no one’s worried about me?” Sousuke asked with a pout.

Rolling his eyes, Rin shrugged. “Do you realize how lucky you are right now? Makoto’s the very best you could ever meet.”

To this, Sousuke just smiled proudly while Makoto blushed profusely. “I really am the luckiest guy, aren’t I?" 

Makoto silently thought the others didn’t quite understand how lucky he felt that very moment.  _On the contrary, isn’t Sousuke-kun the best I’ll ever meet? I’m definitely the lucky one._


	32. MakoRin x Kitties Project Collection

**Kitten Rescue Squad**

 

Rin sees him one rainy day, sitting on the wet ground without a care. His umbrella was placed on the side, shielding a box of kittens. “Makoto,” He called out, smiling just a bit.

“Rin-chan!” Makoto’s whole face brightened up as he stood up, then he looked down at himself and chuckled. “I look weird, don’t I?”

“Nah, I used to look like that too.” Rin shrugged, shaking his head. Back when he was in his first year and he didn’t know where to place the abandoned cats he wanted to take in, he would stay beside them when it’s raining too. He smiled as he realized he probably got this habit from Makoto (they  _did_ take care of random cats before too). He walked forward to put Makoto under the umbrella, then said “Hold it right there,”

Makoto stared at him and took the umbrella, carefully holding it so Rin was still under it. He watched as Rin crouched and took the box of kittens. “Eh? But you live in a dorm-”

Rin smiled wider as he looked up at Makoto. “Yeah, but I have a secret headquarters.” It was said with a proud tone and a childish twinkle in his eyes. Makoto couldn’t help but smile as well. “Let’s go? Just hold that umbrella.”

—

And that’s where it started. Makoto found out about Rin’s kitten house, a room in an abandoned factory near the Samezuka dormitory. Worried about the little ones, he visited the place a day after to give milk and bread to the kittens. “Um,” He knocked lightly on the door and walked in. Upon entering the room, he saw Rin lying on a blanket on the floor, a group of cats and kittens at his side. He couldn’t help but smile fondly at the scene. Nagisa would love to take a picture of this (and show it to the world). “Rin…” As quiet as possible, he tiptoed around and knelt beside the boy. “Rin, wake up.” He called out softly, gently nudging his arm.

“5 more-” Rin groaned, but then he suddenly sat up, scaring the cats around him. “Ah!” He looked around, eyes wide. “Oh shit oh shit oh shit-”

“What’s wrong?” Makoto asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Rin stood up and looked at his wrist watch. “Shit I’m late. Captain will-”

“Just tell them-” He stopped, realizing how embarrassing the excuse would be. Just imagining Rin saying ‘I fell asleep with my pets’ to a bunch of his teammates… yeah, Rin won’t be able to say that. “I could go with you. Let’s say we’re planning a joint practice again. I’m the captain so-”

“Ah…” Rin looked very conflicted. “It’s my fault. I don’t want to bother-”

Makoto shook his head, smiling gently. “You are  _never_ a bother.” He said. “Besides, I really wanted to have another joint practice. Gou just couldn’t plan it yet because Mikoshiba-san was-” He shut his mouth then, knowing full well how protective Rin was. “Mikoshiba-san was busy… so, yeah, he couldn’t talk to Gou… yeah.” Makoto sucked at lying.

Luckily, Rin was too busy being touched by Makoto’s statement. “Thank god you’re my friend.” He sighed out in relief. He glanced at the plastic bag on Makoto’s hand. “Thank you for this too. I’ll give it to them later for dinner.” He took the package and placed it on a cabinet, away from the cats. “Let’s go?”

“Yeah.” Makoto looked around once before walking away with Rin. He locked the door as Rin instructed.

—

The second time Makoto visited, it was because Rin called him. [Can you feed them for me? We’re out of town for a practice.] He replied  _yes_  and went ahead to see the place again. He had time to look around this time around, so he spent a few minutes browsing through the small room. It was clean, which was surprising considering it was in an abandoned factory. There were all kinds of things there: small toys they could play around with, balls of yarn, boxes with newspaper shredding, and small cute plates filled with milk.

Makoto chuckled at the thought of Rin actually going out to buy all these from a pet shop. He must have been embarrassed to buy those colorful plates. “But Rin-chan still did it,” He whispered, both amusement and fondness clear in his voice.

Inside the cabinet was cat food and a jug of water. “Wah, he even bought proper food…” He completely underestimated Rin, didn’t he? His smile grew wider as he sat on the blanket on the floor. The cats and kittens were all pretty friendly, gathering around him when he put the plates on the floor. “Eat up well, so Rin-chan won’t get worried of you, okay?”

—

“To be honest, I’m amazed!” Makoto exclaimed, huge smile on his face as he looked at a bored-looking Rin. “You really keep that place clean, don’t you? You really put so much effort for those cats! And they were so many too~” He was excited about his trip with Rin to the pet shop (especially at the fact that the redhead actually asked him to come with him). They seldom see each other without the others, so this was a new experience. “I didn’t know Rin-chan liked cats that much!”

Rin groaned, frowning at him. “It’s just- It was just on a whim.” He muttered, looking down. All those compliments just made him embarrassed. “When I first took in Nagi, I just pitied the little one because it was raining and- well, I remembered when we used to place them in boxes and hide them behind my house… and then I accidentally found that room.”

Makoto remembered those days too. Haruka didn’t join them because he found it troublesome and he hated the cat for taking his mackerel (Rin and Haruka fought about it for hours). It was fun taking care of those kittens. They use to name it- “Oh. You named it after  _our_ cat.” It was  _theirs_  because it was the two of them who took it from the street and tamed it when they were young.

A soft blush appeared on Rin’s cheeks. “It reminded me of our cat. It had the same orange stripes.” He quickened his pace towards the pet shop, possibly because he couldn’t take the embarrassment anymore. “Anyway, that’s that. Stop talking as if I’m some Kitten Rescuer.”

“Oh! Rin the Kitten Rescue Hero. That sounds good.” Makoto giggled, catching up to Rin.

“No. Shut up Makoto.  _Don’t ever name anything ever again_.”

—-

The phone exchanges became more frequent. Rin would send him pictures of the kittens and their names (they agreed that Rin was the better one at naming so he’ll name everyone and even the ones they’d pick in the future). One was named “Haru” because it had the same color as Haruka’s hair. One was named “Ai” because it was small and clingy toward the larger cats. One was named “Ame” because it liked sitting by the window when it was raining. Every one of them had a special name, and the more Makoto listened, the more he realized how important those pets are to Rin. And the more he realized how Rin hasn’t really changed at all. He was still a romantic guy with a warm heart.

“You’ve been smiling at that photo for a whole minute” Nagisa’s voice woke him up from his stupor. “A whole minute!” He repeated, eyes wide. “Whose cat is that?” He asked, inching closer with curiosity written on his face.

“Um, ah-” Makoto promised not to tell anyone about it. “A friend’s!” He was really bad at lying, so he didn’t lie.

“Which friend?” Nagisa was eyeing him suspiciously, fishing for any kind of juicy piece of information he could pry out,

“A-an elementary classmate I met recently. We exchanged mails so now he’s sending me pictures of his cats.” Not a lie either. He wasn’t obvious was he?

“Oh, okay.” Nagisa nodded and went back to pestering Rei.

Makoto sighed in relief.

—-

“No ribbons.” Rin scrunched up his nose at Makoto’s little kit of trinkets. “No collars and no ribbons. Don’t do that.”

Makoto pouted, taking one kitten and placing a small ribbon with a bell on it around its neck. “It’s cute!”

Rin shook his head, sighed in exasperation. “The bells would be annoying and  _no ribbons._ ”

“But I don’t know all their names yet and I want to remember.” Makoto insisted. “And it’s such a waste…” He looked at the things he bought on a whim. His expression turned into a begging one as he stared into Rin. The kitten on his hand also glanced up and purred as if agreeing.

The double cuteness attack was too much even for Rin. “Fine. But no bells! The ribbon and name tags are fine but the bells really would be annoying and it might alert the people around.” He sighed once again. Why did he ever let Makoto in this place again?

Makoto smiled widely and started placing ribbons around each one, asking Rin every now and then if he got the names right.

 _Oh yeah,_ Rin thought,  _this is why I let him in here._

Makoto laughed as a kitten licked his hand.

_god, they’re adorable._

 

 

**Pictures**

Rin didn’t know when it started. It was just supposed to be a one-time thing. Just one click and he’ll save it in the depths of his phone. No one will ever see. But Makoto kept falling asleep beside the small ones and he kept mumbling “Rin-chan, don’t feed them that~” in his sleep and Rin just couldn’t help it. Who could actually resist taking pictures of someone as cute as Makoto?

Makoto would always lean on the wall, sitting on the blanket on the floor. And then, he’ll fall asleep just like that. The cats would gather around him and sit on his lap or anywhere near. Amid the constant purring of the kittens, Rin would always hear Makoto muttering things under his breath. It was seriously too cute. No one can really blame him for taking all those pictures.

The last time he checked, there were 56 pictures of Makoto in his “Cats” folder. It was inside the Others folder and inside the Just Work folder. He really hid it well.

And yet. And yet Nagisa found it in less than 3 minutes. What a scary kid.

“Ohhh~” Nagisa grinned devilishly at Rin. He was sitting across him in Haru’s living room. Haruka and Rei were cooking something for their dinner while Makoto was reading his notes on the side. They decided to get together to study for their finals (Rin was recruited to teach them English). Nagisa giggled happily as he browsed the folder. “So many~” He sounded really amused. “So this is what Mako-chan’s been doing lately after Swim Practice, huh?”

Rin’s whole face turned red as he tried to think up an excuse. Makoto, hearing his name, looked at the two and asked “What is it?”

“Nothing!” Rin immediately replied, eyes wide.

“Your face is red. Are you sure you’re fine?” Makoto looked worriedly at him. “I’m sorry for asking you to help us even though you’re busy too.”

Rin shook his head, still nervous but not wanting Makoto to notice. “It’s fine. It’s fun hanging out with you… um,  _with everyone_.”

Nagisa erupted into giggles once again. “Rinrin’s so cute!”

“Shut up!” Rin whispered fiercely as soon as Makoto looked away. “Just please keep it a secret? I’ll stop and delete everything so-”

“Eh~” Nagisa frowned, pouting a bit. “Don’t delete them. They’re cute.” He insisted. “I’ll keep quiet so just continue doing that and show them to me, okay?”

Rin groaned. “Fine.”

——-

Ever since then, Rin promised not to take any more pictures. He gave Nagisa a copy of the pictures as bribe and kept the memory card inside a box in his drawer to hide it from the world. He’ll never, ever take a secret photo of Makoto again.

 _Never ever_.

“Rin-chan…” Makoto, as expected, was napping on his usual spot when Rin arrived in the small [Kitten Rescue Headquarters]. “Rin-chan… That tickles…” With that sleepy, happy voice, he giggled and continued muttering things. “Munya munya… But Rin-chan… No… I don’t wanna eat ice cream anymore…” Ame, one of the kittens, somehow found it’s way to Makoto’s lap and is now rubbing its head on his stomach.

Damn. It’s too cute.

_Click!_

_Shit, Makoto, why are you so damn cute?_

 

**Sleep Well**

 

_“Rin-chan…” Makoto looked up when he heard the door open and the kittens jumping from the table. He smiled sleepily and watched as three cats huddled around Rin’s feet. “You’re early.” He yawned and stretched his arms forward._

_“Still sleepy?” Rin asked, smiling a bit as he crouched down to rub at the cats around him. He looked at their worn out blanket and frowned. “We can’t bring pillows since they’ll most likely destroy it… but it’s hard for you when you fall asleep, right?”_

_Makoto shook his head. “It’s nothing.” Then, laughing a bit, he said teasingly “Will Rin-chan let me sleep on your lap to make it easier?”_

_“Sure.” Rin said without thinking._

_“Eh?” Makoto stared wide-eyed at him._

_“Eh?” Rin looked up from playing with little Ai. “Ah! I mean, since it’s easier as you said…” A soft blush covered his cheeks. “I don’t want you to have stiff neck…” He scratched the back of his neck and muttered, “Though my legs are pure muscle and won’t be any help, I guess…”_

_Makoto laughed and patted the space beside him. Still blushing, Rin walked over and sat as instructed. Makoto grinned, eyes still a bit glazed and sleepy, before patting Rin’s leg and lying his head on it. “It’s comfortable.” He murmured as he closed his eyes. “Good night, Rin-chan.”_

_Rin bit his lip, feeling his heart thunder inside his chest. He watched as Shiro, the white cat they recently took in, cuddled into Makoto’s chest. The cat purred and Makoto sounded as if he was making the same sounds. ‘Why am I being punished like this…?’ He hoped to all the gods that Makoto won’t realize how loud his heart was beating right now. “Sleep well, Makoto.” He whispered, brushing Makoto’s hair lightly with his fingers. “Sleep well.”_

 

 

“Rin-chan?” Makoto opened his eyes sleepily, peeking at Rin with half-lidded eyes. “What time is it?” He asked, yawning with his eyes closed once again.

“It’s about time to wake up.” The comment both had an annoyed tone to it and yet a soft edge. His touch was gentle as he swiped Makoto’s hair off his forehead. “Let’s go eat dinner.”

“Unnn…” Makoto moaned like a kid not wanting to wake up. “5 more minutes?”

To this, Rin laughed loudly, shoulders shaking and disturbing the cats sleeping around them. “You sound just like the twins.” He grinned. “Makoto'nii-san has that side too, huh?”

Makoto, with his eyes still closed, pouted and grumbled, “But I’m tired and sleepy.” It was probably more sleep-talk than anything.

“I’m hungry.” Rin groaned, flicking at Makoto’s forehead. “Wake up, sleepyhead. Your parents would worry if you don’t go home soon, anyway.”

This caught Makoto’s attention. “Oh!” He immediately sat up and grabbed his cellphone on the side of the blanket. “What time- Oh, it’s still fine.” He looked through his mail before sitting more comfortably beside Rin. “Want to grab something to eat before you jog?”

Rin nodded, grimacing a bit. “Yeah, I’m famished.”

“Um…” Makoto stood up and offered his hand to the other boy. “Are you okay?” He frowned worriedly as he noticed Rin wincing just a bit. “Was my head too heavy or something?”

Rin chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, it just fell asleep-” He groaned as he tried to stand up and grab the taller boy’s hand. “Ugh, okay, it’s not okay…” He wobbled forward, and ended up falling on Makoto’s arms. “…that’s better.” He murmured as he held on to his arms and moved his legs more.

Makoto was still frowning. “You should have woken me up if it was uncomfortable.” He sounded so utterly guilty, as if he did something unspeakable to Rin.

“You were too cute.” Rin just brushed it off with a shrug as he stood up properly. “It was a shame to wake you up.” He looked up to see the tall boy blushing, and realized how embarrassing his words were. “Th- the  _cats_ were cute. If I woke you up, it would have- you know… It would be bad to wake them up.” He rambled on, blushing as well.

Makoto chuckled and nodded in understanding. “Let’s buy something to eat for them too.” He decided, walking to the door. “Fresh fish?” He asked, smiling back at Rin.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Still blushing up to his ears, Rin walked faster and opened the door. “Hurry up,  _sleepyhead_.”

Makoto laughed and followed suit.  _Now_ ,  _I wanna see Rin-chan’s sleeping face too…_

**Steve**

 

“I didn’t know you had a cat at home,” Makoto says as soon as he sees the fat cat lounging at Gou’s feet. “I thought…”

Rin understands why he thought that. Given their shared kitten rescue headquarters near Samezuka, it is confusing why Rin never takes in the cats if he can. After all, Makoto doesn’t take home any because his mom is allergic. If Rin has no reason, then why transform that abandoned warehouse into a kitten rescue headquarters at all?

“Those are street cats,” Rin says, shrugging. “A lot of them like roaming around so I feed them whenever I have time and fix up their shelter when they need, but…” He motions to their cat. “They’re not like this one.”

Gou smiles and scratches the cat’s head lightly. “And Steve hates moving and other people and other cats,” she says.

“Steve?” Makoto asks.

Rin blushes. “I was  _young.”_

 _“_ You always say I suck at naming cats!” Makoto shoots back, laughing. “ _Steve_ …”

Rin crosses his arms. “It’s a good name. We can go to Australia and he’ll fit in just fine.”

Makoto smiles fondly. “Ah, you’ve planned well, huh?”

“Not that it means anything,” Rin grumbles, turning his attention to the cat. “Steve  _hates_ me.”

Makoto turns towards the sleeping cat as well. “Really? Even if he’s your pet?”

“He’s a  _family_  pet.”

“But still…” Makoto knows how sweet Rin could be when it comes to cats. He’s spent a year trying to control his heart rate whenever Rin coos at their stray cats or laughs while playing with them. Their cats—it is  _theirs_  and Makoto has accepted this long ago—love Rin. The only cat he knows that hates Rin is that black cat Rin showed him, but then that cat hated everyone except Makoto, so that’s a different story.

Rin narrows his eyes at Steve for a moment before crouching down and inching closer. “I want Steve to like me,” he says, and there’s a stubbornness to his tone, like he is talking about a competition.

“Oh,” Makoto says, suddenly realizing why Rin called him over. “You want to do  _that_  again?”

“It didn’t work last time,” Rin says,”but that cat was satan and this one’s our family pet, so I feel like we have more of a chance.”

Makoto laughs. “Well, if you say so.”

* * *

They sit together on the couch, watching the cat lie on its bed and move its head around while watching the fan move.

“Maybe Steve doesn’t like you because you smell like other cats,” Makoto comments. “He doesn’t like other cats, right?”

“What, he’s jealous?” Rin asks, scrunching up his nose.

“Aren’t cats territorial?” Makoto says. “Maybe…” He pauses when he sees the cat stand up and walk towards them. Steve stares right at Makoto, sniffs at his feet, then settles there the same way he did with Gou earlier.

When Makoto looks at his side, he sees Rin’s betrayed expression. “I—”

“I know cats—and honestly anyone and anything—likes you naturally, but…  _wow,”_ he says, flatly. “He likes you better than me already.”

“Maybe it’s just because I’m new?”

Rin  _pouts_. “Stop trying to spare my feelings.”

Makoto can’t help but smile some more. Rin is  _adorable_  sometimes. “Let’s play with Steve and see if he warms up to you.”

Rin continues pouting for a few more seconds but then he sighs and says, “Fine.”

* * *

In the end, Steve continues doing that thing where he lets Rin close, but turns his head away as soon as Rin tries to pet him. It’s a bit funny, especially since Rin’s offended expression is so over the top.

They try to play with Steve with toys and bribe him with food, to no avail.

Rin lies on his bed, exhausted. He groans and closes his eyes. “Why does my own cat  _hate me_?”

Makoto pats his leg and stands up. “We’ll figure something out,” he says. “I’ll get us juice.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll—“

“Let me,” Makoto says, squeezing his ankle. “I have something to ask Gou, too, anyway.”

“If you’re sure,” Rin says, still with closed eyes.

Makoto opens the door and doesn’t close it all the way.

* * *

When he comes back, Rin is snoring lightly in his sleep, and Steve is lying at his side, head nuzzling on Rin’s butt.

He tiptoes closer and takes out his phone, snapping a quick picture. He’ll show this to Rin later.

He sends a copy to Nagisa too, since he promised to send any Rin-sleeping-with-cats pictures he gets.

His reply is quick, as always.  _God I wish that were me_ , it says. Then, a second later,  _that’s what u r thinking right?_

Makoto blushes and sends back  _no i’m not_

He can almost hear Nagisa’s laughter when he reads his next reply.  _don’t let the cats monopolize the butt_  followed by a meme

Makoto snickers to himself despite the warmth on his cheeks.  _Maybe I will,_  he sends.

He looks over towards the sleeping Rin, feeling that familiar warmth in his chest. He moves closer and takes another picture, this time of his sleeping face. He looks so peaceful and beautiful.

This one, he doesn’t send over. It’ll be his own little treasure.


	33. Arcade AU [Makorin]

Rin looked at his watch, sighing as he realized he would not be able to go to the meeting even if he tried. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to help, or he hated being around those other guys. It was just that he woke up feeling sluggish and irritable and he didn’t think it would be right to show up like that. It’s been three days since he lost in the 100m Freestyle race to Haruka Nanase. It was still fresh in his mind.

He’s had his fair share of wins and losses with Haru. But that competition three days ago was more important than anything. Scholarship for college was at stake. That damn Haru, with all his wealth from his overseas parents, didn’t need a scholarship. But he was just  _so great._  Rin was nervous and stupid and lost because of the pressure but Haru was composed and perfectly swam like his usual self.

Why did he have to lose that one? Rin still blamed himself even after three days of thinking. It was completely his fault for losing focus. He should have trained more. He should have taken control of his emotions.

He stopped at a fork on the road, staring at the street sign in the middle. Deciding against showing up to the Swim Club meeting (they didn’t need a failure anyway), he went the other way.

Just a few blocks away was a small unpopular arcade Rin always saw when he walked to the station. It was always pretty much empty during class hours, for some reason. But after class, it was always thriving with customers. Weird, since Rin remembered it being a treasure trove of yankees and delinquents cutting classes before.

He stepped in and looked around, noting how only a few elementary students (it was after lunch so they probably finished classes early) were there. He raised an eyebrow in confusion but shrugged it off. It was easier this way. At least no one would see him and start off some nasty rumors about him again. (Just because he doesn’t smile much doesn’t mean he beats up freshmen and drowns incompetent swim club members!)

“Excuse me,” An employee walked up to him, pleasant smile on. He had moss green hair and he was pretty tall and bulky. But his smile was soft and gentle, so different from his overall look. “You’re wearing a uniform.” He stated factually.

“Yeah, I noticed.” Rin just stared at him weirdly before walking over to the fighting games. He pulled out his coin purse and fished out some 100 yen coins. Before he could place it in, however, he felt the employee sit down beside him. He was still staring with that unnervingly soft smile of his. “Is there a rule against uniforms? Last time, I saw students here.”

The employee nodded, not faltering one bit. “ _After class hours._ ” He answered, using a professional voice.

“We don’t have any class today. I just got back from a competition. I’m free to do whatever I want, okay?” Rin spat out, frowning deeply. “There’s no sign saying students are off limits. And according to the law, your distance from my school gives me every right to play here whatever time I want to.” Why does this guy have to get on his nerves today of all days? He was a wreck as it is. His mind wasn’t up to par for this kind of hassle right now. He just wants to play some games and go home when it’s time to (about 2 hours from now).

For a time, the employee was quiet. Perhaps he was taken aback by Rin’s words. Or he realized how fruitless it was to talk to someone so hotheaded. He didn’t stand up though, just leaned back on the machine at the side as if thinking to himself.

Rin went ahead and played the game. He wasn’t that good with it though. He seldom goes to these places, after all. His life is practically overwhelmed by school and swimming. He never went out to this kind of place with his friends. He never had the time or interest. He regretted that as he watched his character get pummeled down by the enemy. (Just like how he was left in the dust by Haruka during the race).

“With that kind of opponent, you don’t attack repeatedly. You run away until you’re ready for a combo.” The employee advised, smiling once again. He looked really friendly and charming.

“…” Rin was  _really_ annoyed. And no amount of cuteness will appease him. (He’s not really blind enough to not see how  _cute_  this guy is, he just chose to  _ignore_ it). He watched as his life meter emptied. “Tsk,” He kicked at the chair beside him lightly in a slight show of tantrum.

“Bad day?” The guy refuses to go. With that all-knowing sparkle in his eyes, he stared at Rin. “I know I’m just some stranger in an old arcade.” He laughed, light and happy as if it was a pleasure to talk to Rin like this. Then, he leaned closer, resting his cheek on his hand with his elbow on the machine in front of him, and then smiled. “But I do really want to help.”

Rin sighed and looked away.  _God, those eyes are mesmerizing_. “Is that what you do, in here? Help random people? I don’t think that’s your business.”

He looked up, blinking slowly as if he was consumed by memories. “I try.” He answered after a while. His tone was almost nostalgic. “The manager does say I’m a busybody.” He added, pouting a bit as he glanced towards the general direction of the manager’s office.

“You are.” Rin grumbled, inserting another coin. “Go away. I don’t need help.”

The stranger did stand up and leave, to Rin’s surprise. But he came back just after Rin’s third loss. “Oh. I told you. You should run away.”

“I don’t run away.” Rin looked up to glare at the boy. What he saw in front of him was a can of hot tea being offered to him by a large hand. “ _I don’t run away_.” He repeated in a soft voice, more to himself, as he looked back to the screen.  _Ignore him,_ he repeatedly told himself despite how hard it was proving to be.

“Here,” He sat back down and took one of Rin’s hands to place the can on it. “Warm things calm you down. It’s good.” He opened his can and sipped it calmly. “When you’re warm, you think better thoughts.”

The warmth from the can spread from his hand to his arm to every fiber in his body. Here was a stranger giving him free tea and smiling at him as if he was not a disappointment. Here was a stranger who looked at him as if he was willing to listen to any problem Rin had.  _Those eyes are illegal,_ Rin thought to himself. “Thanks.” He couldn’t help but say. He watched his character get killed for the fourth time. “Ugh, why is this character so weak?”

The guy laughed, amused at that statement. “He isn’t.” He said, eyes shining as he looked at Rin as if he was peeking at Rin’s very soul. “Every character, every  _person,_ has their own strengths. Of course, they have weaknesses too. You have to do what’s right for your character. Even if it seems cowardly or shameful, you have to help yourself through the course of action allowed by your character.”

 _That sounds so awfully bullseye._  Rin groaned and placed his head on the control panel, feeling completely powerless. “How did you do that?”

With wide, innocent eyes, he asked “Do what?”

“Ugh, that was completely random?” Rin peeked at him and his beautiful eyes.  _His jaw’s pretty pronounced. How old is he supposed to be? Probably near my age though, he looks young. Probably does some sport too. Built body, nice muscles. He’s pretty smart for a guy my age though._

“Um… Matsuoka-kun? Why are you stari-”

Rin straightened up and stared at him. “How do you know my name?”

He smiled and pointed at the name embroidered on the breast pocket of Rin’s uniform. “I always check the name of the students.” He admitted, almost shyly. “I’m supposed to be a senior in High School now but I stopped last year… so out of curiosity, I look at them.”

“Curiosity?” Rin scoffed. “Not jealousy?”

“Ah…” His eyes widened. “Maybe there’s that too!” He exclaimed, shock clear in his face. It was as if this was the first time he thought of that. “But I’m really curious too! Boys my age do so many different things I’ve never experienced, and they have all sorts of problems too.”

“So you help people randomly?” Rin actually smiled at that.  _How can this guy even exist?_  "You’re a real weirdo.“

He laughed. "Maybe I am.” His smile widened as he saw Rin’s smile. A look of contentment settled on his face.

Rin looked down on his watch. “Ah.” It was 3:00. “I can still somehow make it.” He muttered, taking his bag and standing up. “Thank you.” He grinned and shook the tea in his hand. “Thanks for this.”

He simply nodded and then bowed down deeply. “You’re welcome. Come again next time!”

Rin rushed outside, running to make sure he’ll still be able to make it to the meeting at least before it finishes. A huge smile on his face, he knew he would be able to go through this day and the next because of those words. He was already at the school gates when he thought “I wonder what his name was…?” He sighed as he walked into the school. “ _I’ll definitely come back there to ask his name._ ”

—–

“Makoto-kun,” the manager, a woman called ‘Ama-chan’, walked towards him. “Uwah, you’re brighter than usual.” She commented upon seeing his wide smile as he stared out unto the road.

“Matsuoka-kun… huh?” He muttered before sighing, not noticing the manager at all. “I hope he comes back.”

Ama-chan just smiled at him fondly, shaking her head. “ _Oh the folly of youth, how love comes at such unexpected moments…_ ”


	34. haru and nitori being rin fans

Nitori Aiichirou wasn’t sure what to feel. Nanase Haruka had sent him a message, asking him if he wanted to have lunch together in Haruka’s house. Worse, Rin saw his phone while he was reading it. (That was when Nitori realized that it wasn’t only his teeth that were sharp, his eyes were too). “U-um senpai” He looked at Rin with wide eyes and tried to explain. “It really isn’t- I wasn’t-”

Rin frowned at him then looked away, walking over to his bed and sighing deeply. “Whatever. Reply to him before he leaves his phone again.”

With shaking hands, the younger boy replied a [thank you for your offer] and decided that ’ _scared_ ’ was exactly what he was feeling right now.

—

Makoto had called Nitori once or twice. Nagisa also had his number. They had fairly constant communication. Rei would ask him about where Rin was in times when Rin didn’t have his phone on him. Even Gou had his number, and would always call Nitori when it comes to some plans regarding Rin.

But it was his first time to be contacted by Haruka.

He was most definitely scared. And yet, he was also curious. Rin urged him to say yes, given how Haruka never asked anyone to lunch ever. He never used his phone much too, Rin added.

Nitori would have felt special if Rin wasn’t glaring at him so much. Rather than special, he was just really afraid for his life.

[Ask Rin how to get here] was Haruka’s last message before Nitori went out to go to Iwatobi.

—

“Oh.” Haruka opened the door to his house, face completely blank as he said “Come in.” He walked inside, took a pair of slippers to offer Nitori. “I have mackerel.” He waited for the other boy to wear it before showing the way to the living room. He gestured to the seat before proceeding to the kitchen.

Nitori sat down and fiddled with his bag strap, unable to understand anything at this point. Why was he here? What did Haruka need? Why  _here_? Why  _alone_? Unable to calm down, he stood up and looked around the room. Maybe something around would distract him from all the questions. At the corner of his eyes, he saw a trophy and a photo frame. He walked closer and stared wide-eyed at the picture. “Oh.” He smiled at the image of a young Rin grinning happily with everyone. “So Matsuoka-senpai used to look like this…” He wondered when he’ll ever see Rin be like this with their Samezuka team.

“That was after our relay.” Haruka walked in, two bowls of rice in hand. He sat down and placed the bowl on the table, then stared at Nitori until the boy got the clue and sat down as well.

“…” Nitori stared at his bowl nervously, still quite unsure of what to do. “A-anou, Nanase-san, why-”

“The rice will get cold. Mackerel is best eaten with warm rice.” Haruka said quietly, taking his bowl and slowly eating.

Nitori, with jerky movements, took his bowl and chopsticks and picked at the mackerel in front of him. There was silence as they both continued to eat. For a few minutes, there was only the sound of the clanging of chopsticks against the plate and their chewing.

“Nitori,” Haruka was apparently a fast eater. He looked up as Nitori was about to gobble up his rice.

“H-hai?!” He exclaimed, almost squeaking. With wide eyes, he placed his bowl down with a loud thud. A few grains of rice fell at his side.

Haruka blinked and his lips turned up just a bit into a small smile. “Calm down,” He said, voice showing a touch of amusement. “I just wanted to thank you.” He placed his chopsticks down on the bowl.

 _That_  wasn’t what Nitori was expecting. Out of every scenario he conjured up while walking to this house (though honestly he couldn’t think up of much scenarios given how he barely talked with Haruka before), this didn’t even come up in his mind. Why would Haruka even thank him? He’s never done anything for the guy. At most, he would just time Haruka when they had joint practice. Nitori doubts that deserves this kind of appreciation. “Um- I-” He looked at Haruka’s expression and realized that he was still smiling just a bit. That expression was actually calming. “Thank you for what?” He inquired.

“For taking care of Rin.” Haruka said simply. He took his bowl and glanced at Nitori’s half-eaten mackerel. “Do you want tea?” As if what he said wasn’t anything big, he watched as Nitori nodded dumbly before walking back to the kitchen.

For a few minutes, Nitori was left on his own with just his thoughts. He just mulled over Haruka’s words as he finished his food. He took his bowl and walked over to the kitchen. “Nanase-san,” With a calmer expression, he faced the older boy. “I-” _  
_

Haruka stepped forward and took the utensils from him then placed them on the sink. He pointed towards the tray with two cups. “Can you carry those?”

“A-ah, yes!” He rushed forward and took it, tea cups clanking together.

“Calm down,” Haruka repeated, this time a bit stern. He walked forward into the living room and then sat back on his seat.

Nitori took a deep breath once. Twice. Then followed suit. “Nanase-san,” He started once again. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.”

Haruka stared at him for a long while. Nitori just sweated profusely as he waited for the answer. “You took care of Rin.” He repeated, eyes shining in that specific way Nitori only saw Haruka do in regards to the pool. “You took care of Rin when we couldn’t.  _Thank you._ ”

“I- I didn’t really-” Nitori stuttered, embarrassed. His cheeks were red from embarrassment. “It was Matsuoka-senpai who took care of me!” He insisted. “I never did anything special.”

“You stayed by him.” Haruka said simply, serving the tea. “He needed that.”

Nitori saw the gratefulness in his face. He never expected Haruka to do something like this. He pegged Makoto and Nagisa to do this, but definitely not Haruka. “Matsuoka-senpai supported me a lot too.” He said, smiling as he took the cup and blew on it. “He’s amazing.”

Haruka’s smile seemed to widen as he replied “He is.”

—

“What the hell are they talking about?” Rin muttered to himself, hiding behind a bush on Haruka’s yard. “Why the hell is Haru smiling like that?!”

“Yo.”

Rin looked to the side to see Nagisa and Makoto smiling at him. “What are you doing here?” He whispered fiercely.

Nagisa grinned widely and crouched down beside him. “We’re curious!”

“Haru told us he was going to invite Nitori-kun.” Makoto explained, glancing at the two people in the living room with a fond smile. “He said he wanted to talk to him about something.”

“I think Haru-chan is practicing talking to more people!” Nagisa proudly said. “Oh~ Look, Nitori-kun’s laughing at something Haru-chan said!”

“That looks nice…” Makoto looked like a proud mother watching her son walk for the first time. “It’s going really well.”

Rin frowned at the two. “What the hell is happening?” He was just really confused. Why Nitori, of all people? What were they even talking about?

“Oh he took it out.” Nagisa commented, as if he was watching a movie.

Makoto chuckled. “Maybe he prepared that to make it easier.”

The three watched as Haruka and Nitori looked through the photo album of all their childhood pictures. Rin sighed and scratched his head, still confused but having an inkling of what is happening. “I worried over this…?” Another sigh. “I don’t get it.”

—-

“Um, did you see that?” Nitori asked, glancing outside quickly before looking at Haruka again. “I think that was-”

Haruka sighed. It looked like he would roll his eyes any minute now. “Ignore them.” He said quietly. He turned the page and looked at the pictures. “This was when Rin called Coach as ‘mama’.” He explained, smiling a bit.

Nitori’s eyes were wide as he took all the pictures in. He giggled at the idea of that small Matsuoka-senpai being embarrassed at that blunder. “Matsuoka-senpai looks so happy in these pictures.” He commented, eyes turning a little sad. “He looks so happy with you.”

“Rin laughs more now.” Haruka replied, thinking about the recent times they spent together. Rin laughed a lot now, and initiated talks and would cling to everyone like he did back then. “He said he’ll make Samezuka the best team.”

A huge smile appeared on Nitori’s face. If Matsuoka-senpai is really contented with them now, then that would make him happy. “Thank you,” He softly said, staring at Haruka. “Thank you for showing these to me.” It meant so much to him, to have Haruka show all of these memories.

Haruka blinked, then shook his head immediately. “ _Thank you."_ The small smile was back on his face. "Tell me about the Rin of Samezuka too.”

“Yes!” Nitori nodded happily.


	35. dream [makorin]

> In celebration for the [beautiful surprise](http://judalbaby.tumblr.com/post/70570898521/makoto-is-like-its-okay-rin-open-your) we got, I decided to write fic.
> 
> _Rin dreams all kinds of dreams. That particular day, he woke up crying._

—

_It was dark and cold. Rin knew he was submerged under water. He opened his eyes and yet he could not see anything. Only darkness. A wide expanse of darkness he could not escape. He felt fear so strong it felt like poison in his veins. He felt cornered, lost, unable to move. He desperately struggled forward, arms straining to get away from this, but there was nothing he could do._

_And then there was a warmth. Heat so gentle and comfortable, as if he was being taken away from all the fear and being deposited somewhere safe. At first, it was just a soft touch. It was just a light touch he could barely feel._

_Then it enveloped his very being, shook his very core._

_“Rin, it’s okay.” A gentle voice said. “It’s going to be okay now.” He knew that voice from somewhere. It was a very familiar, calming voice. The warmth spoke with fondness and love. “Remember what you showed us? Remember how you changed us?” There was hope in his tone, and if Rin could see he knew he would see something beautiful. “We’re gonna show it to you too. This time, we’re going to help you.”_

_Rin felt warm and comfortable but the fear was still in his system. There was still darkness. The darkness refused to lose. It grabbed him by his feet and dragged him down. He didn’t know what to do._

_“Open your eyes. Trust me.” The voice was nearer now. “Open your eyes, Rin.”_

_The warmth concentrated on his forehead, and Rin somehow found the strength to open his eyes fully. “Makoto…” There he was, Tachibana Makoto, forehead pressed against his and smiling a gentle and proud smile. “Makoto…”_

_Makoto’s smile widened. “Open your eyes, Rin… Open your eyes…”_

_“I am-”_

_“Rin…”_

_—_

“Rin!”

The redhead sat up with eyes wide. “Huh?”

“Were you having a nightmare?” Makoto asked worriedly, sitting beside Rin’s bed and placing a tray of food on the bedside table. “Is your fever any better now?”

Rin nodded slowly. “It wasn’t- It wasn’t really a nightmare.”

Makoto blinked in confusion before leaning in close to touch his forehead with Rin’s. “You’re still pretty warm.”

Before Makoto could move back, Rin placed a hand on his arm, gripping it as if afraid to let go.

“Rin-chan…?” Confusion was clear in his eyes. Then, he softly smiled and placed a hand on Rin’s cheek. “ _Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine now."_ He whispered, just like how he did in the dream. "You should sleep more.  _I’ll stay here beside you_.”


	36. first chapter of Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a makoto-centric au where he's the one who went to australia  
> currently discontinued

It has been 5 years since Makoto left for Australia and today was the day he would come back to Iwatobi. Through all those years, they sent mails back and forth. Despite being away for so many years, they never stopped communicating. Makoto was their best friend, after all. He also went home every Christmas break so they almost always met every year, though the last two years Makoto has been too busy that he didn’t show up at Haruka’s place as usual. As time passed by, there were fewer letter and less chances to meet. Still, the three remained as close friends.

 

As expected, Rin was already banging at Haruka’s door at 7 o’clock in the morning. He was the most excited about this, saying stupid things like “Makoto will  _finally_  set Haruka in the right path” and “I wouldn’t be alone in pulling you out of pools anymore”. It was understandable where he was coming from, but Haruka honestly just wanted to sleep more.

“I never lock the door.” Haruka muttered, followed with a loud sigh. This always happen every day; a routine they can’t seem to shake off. Why can’t Rin just stop being the loud thing he is?

Rin pouted and frowned, coming in and changing into household slippers immediately. “But it’s impolite to just come in. Your grandma used to always scold me about that so I don’t want to do it.”

Another sigh. Haruka watched as Rin jogged to the living room as if he owned the place. “Don’t just sit there. Change into your uniform already.” Haruka’s house was nearer to their High School so Rin always jogs to the house then changes into his uniform before walking to the school with Haruka. After making sure that Rin properly changed, Haruka then went to prepare for school.

 

“Do you think he’ll have an accent or something?” Rin’s eyes were shining as he jogged beside Haruka. “I wonder if he’ll join the swim team… I mean, we still don’t have the team since we lack members but with Makoto with us maybe we can join the relay again! Nagisa will study in our school too so-“

Rin continued to chatter about his plans and his excitement while Haruka looked at the sea and hoped to god that the seasons would change soon so he could swim in the ocean and get away from this. He looked up at the sky and wondered if Makoto would be there when he enters their classroom. Deep inside, he wished his best friend would still be the same caring boy who could read through his mind.

 

“I’m Tachibana Makoto.”

From the moment he opened his mouth, Rin knew something was wrong. That was a fake smile, and even his eyes looked empty. Haruka glanced at Rin and frowned. It was weird. It has only been two years since they last saw Makoto. He looked like a very different person. Where’s the gentle, understanding smile? Where’s the all-knowing stare?

“I’ve come back from Australia. I used to live around here so some of you might know me. I look forward to being friends with all of you.” He bowed down politely before waiting for the teacher’s instruction on where he would sit. Unfortunately, he had to sit in the back near the corridor, completely opposite of Haruka’s and Rin’s seat.

 

As soon as the bell rang, Rin rushed to Makoto’s seat and dragged him out of the room before their classmates could crowd around his table. Haruka followed suit as the two went to the very same tree where Makoto first announced his plan of going to Australia. Rin let go of Makoto’s hand and stared him in the eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Makoto tilted his head to the right, confused. “No ‘welcome home’?” He smiled a bit and ruffled Rin’s hair. “Oh look, I’m taller than you now.”

Rin frowned, eyebrows furrowing. “What’s with that?” He really doesn’t get it. Something was off, but Makoto was acting like usual. “I  _know_ you’re hiding something. You’re making that face…” It was similar to the face he showed when Rin found out about his trauma.

“Makoto…” Haruka stepped forward as well, obviously worried.

“You both look so worried!” Makoto exclaimed, chuckling. “There’s nothing to worry about, okay?” He smiled, and this time it was at least much better than what he showed in the classroom.

“Are you sure?” Rin knew how Makoto could be. He pushes himself too much and never asks for help. He doesn’t want anyone to worry. He’s a selfless guy through and through. “If you have any problem, we’re here.”

Nodding with a small smile, Makoto just said “I’m sure.” He glanced at Haruka and said with a soft voice, “I’m home.”

A small smile surfaced on Haruka’s lips. “Welcome home.”

 

 

When they came back from the grounds, they took their lunch boxes and proceeded upstairs to the rooftop. Rin just loves clichés like that so he always drags Haru to eat there. Before they could open the door, however, they heard a familiar voice shout “Mako-chan! Haru-chan! Rinrin!”

“Stop calling me Rinrin!” Rin was the first one to react, knowing full well that only one person would call him something as ridiculous as that.

Nagisa skipped to their side, giggling at the redhead’s expression. “Ehe, it’s been a while!”

Smiling gently, Rin poked his forehead mischievously. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

“Rinrin haven’t either~” Nagisa stuck out his tongue before jumping a few steps up to reach Makoto and Haruka. “Haru-chan! Mako-chan!”

Makoto smiled and with a pleasant voice, he said “It’s been a while. You’re studying here too?”

Nagisa nodded happily. “Now that we’re all together again, this means we can make a Swim Team and join the relay, right?” He obviously was extremely excited about this idea of his. Rin ran up to his side and had the same starry expression when he said “We’ll make a swim club, right?”

Haruka glanced at Makoto and saw the way his smile turned into a frown. “Makoto…?”

“I’m-“ Makoto forced a laugh. “I’m sorry, I think I’m still feeling a bit-“ He looked down. His face looked pale. “I think I need to go to the infirmary, after all. I haven’t properly slept, you see.” He showed another forced smile, waving his hand before excusing himself.

“Makoto…” They all watched worriedly as Makoto disappeared from their sight.


	37. A Different Side [MakoRin]

“Please, Tachibana-san, I need your help.”

This was the first thing Makoto heard as soon as he received the call. It was Nitori Aichirou, sobbing on his phone. “Nitori-kun?” He gripped his phone harder, worry overcoming him. The number was Rin’s, and Nitori made it sound like there was an emergency. “What is it?”

There was a whimper from the other line. “Matsuoka-senpai has a really high fever and I think-” He continued sobbing helplessly. There was a groan on the background, most likely from Rin. “Senpai, don’t die!” He exclaimed.

“Calm down, Nitori-kun.” Makoto gently said. “Have you checked his temperature?”

There was a sound of rustling. “Yes.” Nitori seemed to be shuffling things around him. “39 degrees Celsius.” He was slowly calming down. “What do I do? He’s been moaning about seeing his dad for a few minutes now…” Saying that might have made him remember the situation, because he started crying again. “Tachibana-san…”

“Make him eat something and make him drink his medicine properly. I’m going there now.”

—

The first thing Makoto sees when he steps in is the pile of pills and food packs and assorted drinks on the side of Rin’s bed. When Rin said that Nitori was a messy guy, Makoto never realized he was  _this_ messy. How did he even do this in less than an hour? He might have been panicking too much… Makoto felt bad for him, to be honest. “Nitori-kun,” He walked over to the boy and placed a light hand on his shoulder. “Let me handle this.”

“Th-thank you!” Nitori bowed down deeply, sighing in relief. “Is senpai going to be alright?” He asked worriedly, glancing at the sweating Rin.

“It’s fine.” Makoto nodded and smiled reassuringly. “Go to practice now. Rin will be fine.”

For the first time today, Nitori cracked a small smile. “Thank you.”

—

“Dad…” Rin moaned, hands clutching at the mattress as if in pain. “Wait-”

 _Ah, so this was what was happening,_ Makoto thought with a frown. Anyone would panic while hearing Rin say things like this. “Rin…” He gently shook him by the shoulders. “Wake up, you need to drink your medicine.”

“Mmhmmm…” Rin shook his head, frowning. “No… It hurts…” He groaned. “I want to go-”

“Rin!” Makoto shook him more urgently now. “Come on, Rin, stop that…” A deep frown was on his face. “Please wake up.” He tapped him on the arm. “You need to drink your medicine…”

After a few seconds, Rin did open his eyes. “Ugh-” With half-lidded eyes, he glanced up and saw Makoto’s worried expression. “Mako- why-”

Makoto just smiled gently and wiped at Rin’s forehead. “Time for your medicine.” He placed a strong hand on the sick boy’s arm and pulled him until he was sitting up. “Nitori-kun’s out to practice. He asked me to take care of you.”

Rin frowned and pouted. “It hurts…” He groaned. “My head hurts.” He leaned forward and pulled Makoto to him until their foreheads were touching. “See, it’s hot…” He murmured, almost sleepily. “Take the pain away, Makoto…”

“Eh?” A soft blush appeared on his cheeks. “Rin-chan…”

“Take it away…” Rin then mumbled incoherently, eyes closing heavily. “Makoto…” He continued with this, until he fell forward, slumping into Rin’s arms. “Uhhhnnn…”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “Rin!” He held on to his arms and placed him back on the bed. “Come on, just drink something…”

“Feed me…?” Rin asked, peeking at him with a small pained frown. His hand grabbed on to Makoto’s sleeves. “Please?”

The tall boy blinked in confusion.  _So Rin is like this when he’s sick?_  “Just wait a second,” He replied gently, taking the porridge on the side and bringing it to his lap. “Can you sit up now? You need to sit up to eat.” He asked this slowly and waited for a response. The redhead just groaned before pulling on Makoto’s arm to sit up again. “Just lean on the wall…” He took a pillow on Rin’s side and placed it on his back. “Here.”

“Makoto’s so nice…” Rin mumbled, laughing like he was drunk. “You’re so nice…”

“Yes, yes, now eat this…”

—

Nitori came back an hour later, still looking worried about everything. “How is he?” He asked hurriedly when he came in.

With a small smile, Makoto gestured towards the sleeping Rin. “Better.”

“I’m really sorry you had to-” Nitori bowed down repeatedly and apologized profusely.

“It’s okay.” Makoto laughed. “I saw something amazing.”

“Eh?” Nitori stared at him in confusion.

He laughed some more. “Nothing, nothing!”


	38. domestic college makorin

They move in together in a small apartment in Tokyo a week before school starts. Rin was the one who offered, saying he was more accustomed to searching for lodging and handling paper works. Makoto was just glad he could stay with Rin, that he didn’t need to be alone in this new environment, and that he could live together with him at last. The thought was exciting: choosing some household supplies together, designing their new place, eating out together.

Makoto was more than happy to invite Haruka, Nagisa, Rei and Gou to celebrate with them when they were finally settled.

“Rin-chan, aren’t you supposed to go file some things about Uni today?” Nagisa asked, eyes shining brightly as if he was excited about it. “How long will you be gone?”

Raising an eyebrow, he asked suspiciously “What are you planning?”

Nagisa blinked. “Nothing?” He shrugged. “I wanted to join you so I could help Rin-chan and learn from you about how to be independent!” He grinned widely. 

Rin got even more suspicious, but Nagisa  _is_ a senior who will have to do this next year, so it does make sense. “Fine. But don’t pull me anywhere.” _  
_

“Okay!”

—

Nagisa did not do as told. As expected. He pulled him to a park, a mall, and even got Rin to tour him in the university. There was no stopping the blonde overly excitable boy.

Rin thought nothing of it. Just that, he really should never let Nagisa sway him again.

—

“… _wow."_ Rin was so glad he didn’t think anything of Nagisa’s behavior. He was so glad he was swayed by the kid as usual. Because this…  _this is beautiful._  "Wow…” He repeated, staring at their bedroom wall with wide eyes. While he was gone for the day, Haruka and the others somehow were able to transform their plain white wall into a mural of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. On the ground were cherry blossom petals made out of pink paper. “I-  _why_ ”

Makoto grinned widely as he simply said, “You’ve worked hard.”

The redhead bit his lip, trying very hard not to cry. “You’re unfair.” He muttered. “It’s a surprise attack.”

Chuckling, Makoto walked over to him to pull him to sit on the bed. “Okay, then. I  _am_ unfair. I’ll always be unfair if it’s for you.”

—-

Their cohabitation started with a wonderful present, but living together is not always so bright and pretty. Sometimes, it could be dull and too quiet. Sometimes, it’s about cooking a dinner for two and ending up eating alone. Sometimes, it’s about fighting over coming home late or waking up too early. Sometimes, it’s about quarreling over what to watch on TV. Sometimes, it’s about watching your partner be so tired that he won’t talk about his day anymore.

Sometimes, it’s about waiting for someone, hoping to god they’ll be home early this time.

—

Makoto came home a little past 11, because of a meeting for a group project. He called Rin to tell him about it, but he knew Rin would wait up anyway. The redhead has been stressed about his studies lately, being overwhelmed by the amount of lectures he has to take and the swimming practice sessions he had. Makoto was the same, saddled with too much school work, but he wanted to comfort his partner at least. He felt really bad about not being able to eat dinner with him for almost a week now.

“Rin…?” He walked over to their living room to see the door open but the lights closed. Rin was sprawled on the couch, hands clutching tightly on Makoto’s jacket. A small smile appeared on his lips as he walked over to the couch and crouched down. “ _You’re unfair."_ He muttered with a soft laugh.

As if in response, Rin moved to the side and mumbled sleepily. "Mmmm… Makoto… not the stove please… nghhh turn it off…”

Makoto laughed a bit louder, curious as to what Rin was dreaming about. “Let’s get you to bed,” he whispered fondly, pinching Rin’s nose quickly before taking him into his arms with little effort.

“Mako…  _munya munya_ …” Rin continued mumbling. “Stop– that’s ticklish–”

It took all of Makoto’s willpower. to not laugh more in fear of Rin waking up. “You're  _really_ being unfair now.” He sighed before placing him down on their bed and placing the blanket on him. “I’ll definitely come home early tomorrow.”


	39. mako learns to english [makorin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this and most of the early makorin fics here are based on ideas from the makorin chat, aka the best thing that ever happened to me in this fandom

“Rin, I’m trying to learn to speak better English” He said, eyes showing complete determination. His lips formed a straight line and his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he tried to remember the things he read in the book he saw in the bookstore earlier.  _“Aimu kureiji aboutou you”_

“What?” Rin gaped at him openly, torn between wanting to throw a book on Makoto’s face and kissing his lips to silence him. (On one hand, it's  _cute._ On the other,  _extremely embarrassing.)_

“ _Aimu kureiji aboutou you… Wirr you stay wizzu me tonight?"_ Makoto looked dead serious, staring right at Rin’s eyes. He then switched to Japanese and said with a great level of excitement, "Answer me in English!”

Rin sighed in defeat, shaking his head and almost laughing. “ _I will stay with you if you stop reading How To books, okay?”_

Makoto frowned. “I don’t think I understood that.” He pouted, clearly frustrated. “English is hard.” He groaned and slumped down, excitement zapped out of his system.

This time, Rin did laugh. “I’ll teach you properly, so don’t rely on those books, okay?”

—

As he promised, Makoto stopped reading the How To books he randomly saw in the bookstore. But as per Rei and Nagisa’s suggestion, he found a  _better_ way to self-study.

“Why are we here?” Rin asked, pulling his hand away from Makoto’s grip. They were at the side of a swimming pool, the one used in the seasonal prefecture competitions. The very same pool where Makoto first saw Rin before he transferred into Iwatobi. “What is it?”

 _“You had me at herro”_  Makoto said, smiling proudly despite having a hard time with the English words.

“Wait, what-” Rin recognized those words, but he had no idea why Makoto was spouting something from an old Romance Movie.

“ _Aimu jazz a girr sutanding in furont ofu a boy asuking-”_ _  
_

“Makoto, what the-”

“ _him to rabu her”_ Rin could almost see a tail wagging on Makoto’s back and his ears perking up. That was how excited he looked. It was like he was waiting for some kind of positive response.

“ _Oh fuck how are you this cute?”_  was the only thing Rin could say before he pulled Makoto down by his tie until their faces were inches apart. “ _I love you”_ He whispered before finally bridging the gap between their lips.

Now, Makoto might be bad with English, but he sure knew what that phrase meant. ’ _I love you too_ ’ he thought.


	40. nagisa visits rin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was the first time i said "nagirin is my otp" in my tumblr so it's an iconic time for me

_“Why are you here?” Rin spat out, both in confusion and his usual ‘I’m not ready for this shit right now’ mood. “You’re supposed to be at Iwatobi right now. You should be practicing. A lot.”_

_Nagisa just grinned at him and dived towards the pool with not much care. When he finally resurfaced, he had a playful smirk on his face as he said “I paid my fare to your captain. Just a few pictures and he’s completely fine with me swimming here.”_

_Rin raised an eyebrow, blood boiling at the thought. “You gave him Gou’s pictures?”_

_Laughing to himself, that nice tinkling laugh of his, the blonde shook his head. “Nah, I just gave him your childhood pictures and said they were Gou’s. Aren’t I great?”_

_“Ugh,” Rin narrowed his eyes, thinking about how brilliant and devious this little guy was. “And why did you have to do that?”_

_“Because I know Rin-chan.” Nagisa simply shrugged. “You wouldn’t want to see him with Gou-chan’s pictures, right?” He giggled. “Besides, I wanted to swim with Rin-chan today.”_

_Rin raised an eyebrow, dipping his feet on the pool as he sat by the pool. “Why?”_

_“I swim best when I’m racing with Rin-chan?” Nagisa said, almost as a question to himself. “I just missed Rinrin a loooot!” He laughed once more.  "Don’t you want to race again?“_

_The redhead could only reply with a grunt, because honestly he wanted to swim with him too. He’s been itching to swim with him since he saw Nagisa in the relay. "Fine” He 'begrudgingly’ replied, stepping into the pool. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”_


	41. First Love [HaruRin]

Nanase Haruka had fallen in love three times in his 17 years of living.

The first time was when he was 7 years old. He was walking home with Makoto when they suddenly stopped by the bridge. A long gloomy procession was walking towards the other side. It took a few seconds before they realized what it was.

They were the families of the fishermen who died a few days ago. Amid that line of people is the family of the fisherman who always smile at them when they walk by; that fisherman who gave Makoto his goldfish. “Haru-chan…” He was shaking from head to toe, his eyes wide as he stared at the people passing by.

Haruka placed his hand in Makoto’s, squeezing it gently for support. He watched in silence as the line went forward.

At the very end of the procession was a girl about his age, crying quietly with her fists clenched and her arms around the picture of what seems to be her dad. Haruka could not help but stare. The girl was crying so openly but there was something quietly hiding behind it.

She caught glance of him, and as if in response to his stare, she immediately wiped off her tears and looked back at him. Despite the tears, her eyes were clear and determined, as if challenging him for staring at her.

For those few seconds they stared eye to eye, Haruka felt his heart beat faster. He felt blood rush to his ears, a sudden feeling he didn’t know before overwhelming his senses.

And then the girl broke eye contact and moved forward. She was gone just like that.

She was gone but Haruka was left with the lingering feeling of butterflies in his stomach.

—-

(A year later, while swimming for the district meets, Haruka catches glimpse of a certain boy who looks very similar with that girl. He pretends he doesn’t see it. He pretends to only see the annoying noisy boy, and not the shadow of a crying little girl.

Two years later, Matsuoka Rin tells the story of how his fisherman father died and how he followed that line of grieving families through the bridge. With a big smile, he added “I knew I’ve seen you before! Our eyes met, right Haru?”

Haruka kept quiet as he realized his first love was this noisy, pushy, overly-friendly  _boy_.)

—

The second time, despite his extreme denial of any budding feelings, was when he watched in stunned silence as Rin, with a wide grin on his face, dived into the pool.

Rin is a boy. Rin is a boy who will go to Australia. Rin is a boy who violently shook his world and came in without asking. Rin is  _a boy._

But Haruka’s blood was pumping throughout his body with a certain sense of excitement. Just like that day except much,  _much_  more. He watched as Rin overtook one contestant after another. Haruka could not take his eyes off him. He was precise in his movements as usual, but there was a vigor he only showed now.

When Rin tapped the wall and shouted “Haru!”, Haruka smiled to himself before diving into the water.  _We’ll win this._

—

It took him five years, almost six, to actually feel it for the third time. The feeling was always there at the back of his mind, trying to get out every time Rin tried to provoke him. But he was not that type of person. Emotions were troublesome. Expressing emotions brought problems and issues he didn’t want to face.

“You want to swim with someone, right?”

It took Rei’s words to wake him up. This was his last chance. This was the time to step up and understand his own feelings. He had to accept what he was denying for 5 years. He needs to stop suppressing all those thoughts.

“I want to swim with Rin!”

And with that, he opened the dam of suppressed feelings. He ran as fast as he can. He shouted as loud as he can. He searched and searched all over the place. Until at last, he realized where Rin would be. Where else could he be? Haruka knew him. Haruka had watched him and had thought of him for so many times that he knew exactly what Rin would want to see right now.

That tree. The very same tree from that day.

—

Haruka felt an ache in his heart when he saw Rin like that. He was broken, helpless, and the exact opposite of the little Rin who changed Haruka’s life.

He snarled and snapped. He acted violently. He was shouting out of spite.

But Haruka could only persist on. Beneath the harsh words were silent screams of help. Haruka knew it at last. For the first time since Rin came back, Haruka looked at Rin properly and saw the sadness oozing out of him. He needed help.

And help was what Haruka would give. The same way Rin pulled him out of his little isolated world, Haruka would pull him off this self-hatred bubble.  _I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before_ , right?

—

Just like the first time, Rin stared at him with tears in his eyes. “Why isn’t it  _Free?”_  He was crying openly, opening his heart again just like how it was back then. Haruka couldn’t help but smile, warmth settling in his heart. “I wanted to swim with you!” Rin confessed all his wishes, still sobbing. “But it’s too late now.”

_I love you._

“It’s not too late.” Haruka interfered, sitting up. His eyes were filled with determination. “You can still swim with us.”

Rin’s tears stopped, and a certain light shone from deep within its depths. “Haru…”

_Oh god I love you._

Haruka smiled as they stood up. “This time, I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before.”

—

The third time… well, it isn’t really a “third time”. It was just that specific time when he thought to himself  _This is it. This is love._

When Haruka was swimming the relay, when he heard Rin shouting his name, he swam through the water faster than ever before.  _I’m here. I’m coming now. I’ll be there with you soon._

And when Rin hugged him, when Rin cried on his shoulder while saying “That was the best sight I could ever see”, Haruka could only sigh in happiness.

_I love you so much, Rin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not to be completely extra but uhhh the first part is Canon. Haru saw a young girl and he felt his heart beat faster and that girl turned out to actually be rin surprise!!!


	42. AnoHana AU [incomplete]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someday i'll pick this up again, but until then, this stays here.

**Part 1: Introduction.**

**_**

_“I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before!”_

With cherry blossoms blowing around him and the sun setting behind him, that scene was nothing short of magical. Haruka Nanase still dreams about that day. He still remembers how they trained hard everyday to join the relay. He still remembers how one day, a young boy barged into their lives and changed them. He still remembers how one Matsuoka Rin smiled at them and opened up each of their hearts.

Before he arrived, Haruka was fine with being alone. He was fine with not talking to other people. He was fine with swimming just for the sake of feeling the water. He was fine by himself.

 _Matsuoka Rin changed everything_.

He pestered Haru constantly. He made Haru do things he would never do otherwise. He made Haru think of things he never once thought before.

 _He promised to show Haru a sight he’s never seen before_.

But Haru never saw it. Haru never saw that sight. He never thought of those things again. He never even did those things again. He became even more of a loner. Worst of all, he did not even swim anymore.

_Matsuoka Rin changed everything._

**Matsuoka Rin ruined Haruka Nanase.**

**—**

“Oiiiii! Haru!”

Haruka was not sure whether this was a dream or a hallucination. Whichever it is, it was troublesome. It was something he would rather not give attention to. In his mind, he decided to just ignore it until it disappeared.

“Haru! You see me, right?! You looked at me in the eyes and was shocked earlier!”

He sighed and opened the stove, hoping that it would just fade away. This was just something conjured by his tired mind. He should take a bath and forget everything. Relax and feel the water. Eat then go to school. Go on like usual.

“HARU!” The illusion tugged on his sleeves, then latched on his arm. “Listen to me! I know you’ve always been this way but this is an emergency so try to care at least!”

Not being able to suppress himself, Haruka glanced at him and pushed him away lightly. “You’re not real.” He muttered, mostly to himself.

The illusion sighed and rolled his eyes before pinching Haru’s arm. “Does this feel unreal to you?”

Haruka flinched and backed away but turned his gaze away. Rubbing his arm, he walked to his bathroom quickly without looking back. “Not real.” He muttered again, convincing himself despite the pain in his arm.

**—**

_“Haru-chan, Rin-chan is-”_

_“Haru! They found his body at the seaside-”_

_“Haru'nii-san, my brother is- my brother is–”_

_“Haru, I’m scared… The sea…”_

_“Haru-chan… Is Rin-chan really gone? He can’t be right? He’ll show up tomorrow right? Haru-chan?”_

**—**

Haru quickly stripped and went to sit on his bath, sighing in relief as he felt the water engulfing him. He relaxed and sat down, clearing his mind of anything unnecessary like ghosts and illusions.

But Matsuoka Rin was never the type to easily give up. And his illusion seems to be the same way.

The door opened with a bang and the fully grown Matsuoka Rin illusion stood there, stomping his feet on the ground like an immature brat. “Haru! I need your help!”

“It’s troublesome.” Haruka replied, closing his eyes and leaning back on his tub. Since he was just some stupid illusion Haruka conjured, there was no point being unnecessarily involved, is there?

Sighing, Rin sat on the edge of his tub, shoulders slumped in obvious disappointment. “You know, you really haven’t changed. You should be more active! You don’t even smile! Ugh, I just want your help so I could go to heaven or something like that…”

Haruka looked at him then, mind whirring with this new information. “You…” He frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m telling you, I’ll rest in peace as soon as you help me.” Rin explained patiently.

“You’ll stop pestering me?” Haruka asked, clearly interested now.

Rin chuckled and shrugged. “Sure, sure. You’re the only one who can help me crossover, so you should do it, okay?”

After a full minute of silence, Haruka nodded.

“Ah, I miss food so would you cook something for me?” Rin grinned, as if a ghost/illusion eating food was nothing out of the ordinary.

“I only have mackerel.” Haruka deadpanned. At this point, he really did not want to ask why a ghost would even want to eat. It was Rin, after all. He is the type of person who could do anything as long as he wills it. It isn’t even shocking if he rose up from the dead just because he wanted to pester Haruka again.

**—**

“Delicious!” Rin exclaimed, eating his breakfast noisily as expected. How he is even able to eat, Haruka doesn’t know. He seems to be enjoying himself immensely anyway, so that’s that. “Oh! Are you alone here? How about your grandma?”

Haruka continued eating and without losing a beat, he answered “She died 3 years ago”

“Oh.” Rin frowned and placed his chopsticks down. “I’m sorry.”

Finding no reason to reply, Haruka kept quiet and continued eating the mackerel. He tried to clear his mind and ignore the talkative Rin in front of him. “Thank you for the meal.” He muttered as he stood up and walked over to the kitchen with his plate. “I’m going to school now.”

“School?!” Rin stood up excitedly, eyes shining brightly. “I wanna go! Are Makoto and Nagisa still there? You’re in High School now, right? Uwah~ I feel like it’s been years… well it really has been years since I’ve been to a school huh…”

Haruka sighed for the nth time today. Rin’s enthusiasm still hasn’t changed. He’s still so energetic and just a whirlwind of ideas. More than anything, Haruka did not want to be swayed.  _Never again_. “Nagisa… I haven’t talked to him in a while. Not since the accident-” He clenched his fist, looking down. It’s been a while since he remembered that day. He’s tried so hard to erase that memory and yet right now… Yet right now, Rin’s doing unnecessary things again. Breathing deeply, he looked up again. “Makoto left for another town. He just visits every weekend.”

“Eh~?” Rin pouted and crossed his arms. “That’s too bad. I want to see everyone!”

He couldn’t help but glare this time. “Everything’s changed.”  _ **You ruined everything.**_

**—**

“We’re going to Iwatobi High School, right? Then why are we passing through here?” Rin was skipping beside Haruka, looking around the unfamiliar neighborhood. “Isn’t the seaside the shortest way?” He pointed to the direction of the sea, looking confused.

“No reason. I just like this side.” Haru shrugged. He gritted his teeth, trying very hard not to feel anything. It has been too long. It has been  _way too long_  and he did not need to pin over that again. “Shut up” he added for good measure.

“You’re too angry so early in the morning.” Rin muttered, following him closely.

**—**

It was the first day of his second year in High School. He planned to attend classes like he usually does, and not talk to anyone like usual. Of course, that plan can’t pull through.

Aside from Rin, however, there was another person who suddenly barged in on his life today.

“Haru-chan!!!”

Nagisa Hazuki apparently got in this school. Smiling widely like he always did before, he waved energetically and ran towards Haruka as if it hasn’t been 5 years. “Haru-chan, how are you?”

Sighing tiredly, Haruka muttered to himself, “First Rin, now Nagisa…”

“Eh? Rin-chan?” Nagisa’s eyes widened. And scarily enough, he blurted out, “Did his ghost appear?!” He looked around, as if he’ll jump up and down in excitement anytime now. “Is he here right now?”

“Nagisa…” Haruka frowned and sat down on the floor. He sighed. “Ghosts aren’t real.”

Nagisa pouted and sat down beside him. At the same time, Rin also pouted and sat down on his other side. “But why did you mention Rin-chan, then?”

“I just…” Rin was grinning at him like an idiot. Haruka’s head was starting to ache. “I just dreamed about him today. That’s all.”

“Oh…” Nagisa looked pretty disappointed with that. Rin was frowning at him like the little brat he was. “I guess you miss him too, huh?” He smiled gently and opened his bento. “Hmmm…” As if searching for another topic to discuss, he asked “How about Mako-chan? Where is he? I didn’t see him anywhere!”

“Moved out of town. He’s in a boarding school in Tokyo.” Haruka explained blankly.

“Is that so…?” Nagisa seemed to understand something from that, nodding to himself and keeping quiet after. He simply ate his lunch like that.

Rin was staring at Nagisa, arms crossed and lips pouting. “What was that? I don’t get it! Why did Makoto go to Tokyo?” He messed up his hair, confused. He was good at reading people and guessing from Nagisa’s reaction, there was something about Makoto staying in Tokyo that Haru did not explain. “Oi, Haru! Tell me!”

“Shut up, Rin.”

Haruka clenched his fists. Why is he getting so angry like this? Nagisa looked at him weirdly, but did not speak. To calm himself down, Haruka excused himself to go to the restroom. The younger boy simply nodded with a smile.

But as soon as he was gone, Nagisa looked around with wide, curious eyes. “Rin-chan? If you’re here, could you show me some sign? Like um… what do they do in those shows? Open the door or slam down something? Or make the wind-”

Out of nowhere, the lid of Haruka’s bento slammed down with a huge thump sound. Nagisa shivered as he felt something touch his arm.

Eyes widening, he smiled and exclaimed, “Rin-chan!” He almost cried at the thought of him being here beside him for real. “Rin-chan, I have a pen and paper here. I wonder if you could write?”

The lid levitated an inch before falling down again.

Nagisa giggled and placed his pen and notebook on the floor. He looked around just to make sure no one was around. “Does Haru-chan see you?”

The pen moved out of nowhere and words were written on the notebook. [Yes.] then [Oi what happened to Makoto?]

A soft smile replaced his huge grin. “You know, a lot of things changed since that time. Not me though, I’m still your Nagisa!” He giggled a bit before turning serious once again. “Mako-chan, I think you know about it but I only heard it after your accident. I heard Mako-chan has some trauma regarding the sea. He’s afraid of swimming but tries his hardest with Haru-chan… but when you um… when you drowned,” Nagisa looked down. Despite his greatest effort to not cry, the memory was still painful after all. Even though Rin was here as a ghost, it was not the same. He was dead. “When you drowned, Makoto’s trauma got worse. He had to leave town since we’re so close to the sea. He- He doesn’t swim anymore either. Just like Haru-chan.” Nagisa could not see Rin’s reaction and for a moment, he was scared Rin might run away.

Before he could say anything more though, a voice interrupted his thoughts. “Nagisa,” Haru’s voice was firm and had that streak of anger he doesn’t usually use. “Stop saying unnecessary things.” He sat down and looked at Nagisa’s side, where Rin was. “Rin, stop crying.”

 

* * *

 

 **Part 2:** Makoto's Trauma.

 

Matsuoka Rin, a ghost hovering around the sea, wanted nothing more than to get away from here. The sea reminded him of his stupidity, of the reason why he’s not human anymore. It reminded him of the fact that he died prematurely and in the exact way his father did. Honestly, he felt annoyed with himself every time he was here.

But he had a perfectly logical reason for walking around here. That idiot Ryuugazaki Rei was here. Rin knew he is trying hard, that he is doing his best for the team. He went out of his way to go here and practice in the sea. Despite that, Rin only felt fear. Rei was being an idiot and underestimating the force of the sea. If it wanted to kill Rei, the sea could easily do so. It had that kind of power.

Rei shouldn’t risk his life like this. On the first place, he was just a vessel to contain Rin when the time came. He was supposed to train just so his body could get used to swimming. The more he tries his best, the more guilt Rin and the others would feel. Nagisa would feel even more so. The smallest boy of the group was the mastermind behind the plan, but he was also the closest to Rei. It was a complicated set-up. Sometimes, Rin even wonders if at one point, they’ll tell him that they can’t let Rei down like this. Maybe they’ll tell him that since he is dead, he should just watch them win the relay; that they don’t need him anymore.

That thought was scary but perhaps it was the right solution to all this? Rei was improving every day and it was just right to acknowledge that strength. Rin felt as if Rei could very well be their butterfly. He deserved that spot.

—

Rin looked towards the sea and noticed something wrong. The figure he was watching since earlier was now too far from the shore. That was too dangerous!

Then, as if the heavens were mocking him, Rei started flailing his hands in a helpless manner. Rin knew that look. He was probably caught in something. He was drowning. Just like Rin from that day.

Panic struck him. Haru, Nagisa and Gou were too far away. They were all visiting his grave today.  _Makoto_ …  Rin frowned. “Why does it have to be only Makoto?” Gritting his teeth, he knew he had no other choice. He rushed up the street and into the Tachibana household. He entered Makoto’s room quickly and grabbed the nearest pen and paper. [Rei is drowning! Help!]

Makoto’s eyes widened upon seeing the piece of floating paper. Rin could see the blood drain out of his face. He could see the fear in his eyes. He could see the shaking of the boy’s body. “Makoto… I’m sorry…” Rin grabbed his hand and pulled him to make him move.

Despite the fear, Makoto knew what he had to do. He ran to the sea immediately and dived in without any second thought. He reached Rei in just a few seconds and had pulled him to shore just like that. They collapsed on the shore side by side; one because of exhaustion and the other because of fear. They took deep, calming breaths. A moment of silence passed.

Rin could only watch from afar. He did not want to remind Makoto of that day anymore. He knew how much he boy had to suffer because of him. “I’m sorry…”

When they were calm enough, Rei sat up and bowed his head to Makoto. “Thank you, Makoto-senpai. I’m sorry-“

To his surprise, Makoto hugged him tightly. “I’m so glad… I’m so glad you’re alive…”

Tears slowly fell from Rin’s  eyes as he realized what exactly Makoto was feeling right now.

“Idiot. Don’t do something so stupid again…” Makoto started sobbing on Rei’s shoulder. “Please don’t do something so stupid again. Don’t swim in the sea alone. Don’t leave us like that. We’re friends, aren’t we? Don’t die, you idiot.” He tightened his hold on Rei. “What would happen if you drowned? What do you think we would feel? Please,  _just_   _please_ don’t die…” He was hanging on to the other boy as if he was the one who would drown without support. He was reliving that moment again. He was feeling all those feelings he felt  _that_  day. “Don’t die, please,  _Rin_ …”

“Makoto-senpai?” Rei was confused more than anything. “What are you-“

“Makoto.” Perhaps because he had all his attention on Makoto, Rin did not notice Haruka and the others arrive a few seconds ago. They stood there with wide, surprised eyes and worried frowns. Nagisa stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulder. “It’s okay now, Mako-chan. Rei-chan’s alive, see?” Makoto nodded and let go of Rei.

Nagisa looked at the others with a determined expression then pulled at Rei’s arm, saying “We need to talk.” Somehow, everyone around knew that Nagisa had to tell Rei about the truth now. They had to tell him everything. “Haru-chan, take care of Mako-chan, ne?”

Haruka went over to Makoto and took his hand, just like all those times Makoto was scared. Squeezing it encouragingly, he stared at Makoto. “Did Rin call you?”

“Un.” Makoto wiped his tears.

“You saved Rei.” Haru said with a soft voice. “You saved Rei and he’s fine now.”

“Un.”

“Rin said it might be fate that he had to call you.” Rin never said anything like that, but Haru thought it was something he would most likely say. “The sea isn’t as scary as you think. You saved Rei just fine. You will be fine from now on.”

Makoto nodded slowly, wiping at his cheeks again as tears fell. “Un. I’ll be fine now. That’s why, don’t cry too Rin-chan.” He looked at Haru and asked, “He’s crying too, isn’t he?”

Haruka glanced at Rin’s direction, watched as Rin crouched down and cried his heart out. “He is.” He stood up and pulled Makoto’s hand, walking over to where Rin is. He placed Makoto’s hand on top of Rin’s head. “He’s here, crying like a baby.”

“It’s not your fault.” Makoto said softly, rubbing at the soft presence he felt underneath his hand. “I’ll be fine now. Rin-chan, it was never your fault, okay?"  He felt the soft presence envelop him. Rin was hugging him the way he was hugging Rei earlier.

Haru translated Rin’s message. ” _You’re amazing, Mako-chan_ , he said.“ He watched Rin cry on Makoto’s shoulder. ” _You will definitely be fine because you’re amazing._ “

 

* * *

 

 **Part 3: End**.

 

_“I’m going to Australia after the relay.” Rin said it as if it was nothing. As if he wasn’t leaving them all behind._

_“Why?” Haruka gritted his teeth. He doesn’t understand how Rin could be so calm. All he felt was anger. Even his usual blank expression was gone. Anyone who looked hard enough would see the storm in his eyes. His mind was completely filled with questions. Why would you go? Why would you leave us behind? Why are you just telling us now? Why are you doing this to us? Why why why._

_How dare you just walk in our life and change us? How dare you push all of us into this and yet smile and say you’re not gonna stay to watch us more? How dare you open my heart, take the key and just leave like that? How dare you leave us hanging? How dare you?_

_“Haru,” There was sadness in his eyes and a small smile on his lips when he said “I’m sorry”. He knew. He knew the pain he was inflicting. He knew and that was why he said sorry._

_Sorry was not enough._

_“No…” Haruka would never accept that sorry. He would never forgive Rin for destroying his peace and not taking responsibility. With that ‘sorry’, something had snapped inside him. He glanced at Makoto and saw him still in a state of shock. He knew he could not leave this to Makoto. He had to speak up for himself._

_“You’re just gonna leave like that?” He asked, first quietly but his voice was getting louder with each word. “ **You**  were the one who approached us.  **You** were the one who kept on talking to us.  **You**  were the one who told us to join this relay.  **You**  said we’ll be the best team.  **You**  were the one who said you’ll show us a a sight we’ve never seen before! And then you’ll just leave?  **How selfish can you be?** ”_

_Rin looked like he was going to disagree, and Makoto looked like he wanted to stop Haruka, but he did not give them a chance to speak. “Pulling us into a relay you don’t even care about… **I don’t understand you.** ”_

_Having said all of that, he found no reason to stay. He turned his back on them and ran away. He was afraid to see their expressions. He did not want to see the sadness in Rin’s eyes, or the worried expression on Makoto’s face._

_That day, Haruka hid on the corner of a rocky area at the seaside. He fell asleep and woke up cold._

  
_And when he went home, the first thing he saw was Makoto running to him with tears running down his face. “Haru-chan… Rin, he-” Makoto held on to him as if he’ll fall down without support. He was shaking from head to toe. “They found his body at the seaside. Rin-chan…” His sobs grew louder. “ **Rin-chan drowned.** ”_

—————————————————————————————————————————

They were all gathered around the tree from  _that day_.

There were only a few hours to go before the relay, and yet the group was falling apart. Rei and Rin could not fuse together because their hearts were not in sync. Nagisa was too quiet. He suddenly became this way after Makoto confessed everything that happened that day. Perhaps it was shock, but there was something more that Rei could not figure out. Makoto looked worried of everyone, unable to keep calm as he felt the tension. Haruka looked like he was brooding about something.

“We can’t do this.” Rei said, looking at each one.

There was something wrong with them, and he wanted to figure out what it was. Yes, he was the new member who was just recruited to be Rin’s vessel for the relay. But he grew fond of them and they accepted him and treated him as a friend. Haruka-senpai even told him he didn’t need to do this if he didn’t want to. He had a choice, and no matter what he chooses, they would still be his friends.  _This is his choice._  He wanted everyone to have a closure. He wanted everyone to swim properly again, without any emotional baggage. Moving on… that was what was best for everyone.

But they don’t seem to feel that way. Everyone was anxious. They looked like they already lost the fight without it even starting. “What’s wrong, everyone?” For a full minute, there was only silence. So instead of waiting, he walked to Nagisa and asked, “Nagisa, what’s wrong?”

Nagisa smiled, but there was something about it that was different. “I guessed it right,” he said quietly. Just like his tone, his smile and his eyes showed sadness Rei has never seen on him before. There was no sign of that lively boy who pulled him into this. “All these years, I’ve wondered why Rin-chan would swim at night. He’s not that type of person. He always carefully considered his actions. But still, he drowned at night. When I thought about it properly, there was only one answer. No one would throw Rin-chan in such a confused state other than Haru-chan. That was the only conclusion I could come up with.”

He looked at Haruka who was still looking at the ground. “But I really tried not to think about that. If I did, wouldn’t it be rude to Haru-chan? That’s like I’m blaming him of something he didn’t do.” He looked down, clenched his fists and took a deep breath. “Now I know the truth. I really hate it… I really hate feeling this way.”

He crouched down, looking small and fragile like a child. “But I can’t help it. I can’t help it anymore.” He looked at Rei straight in the eyes. “I don’t like thinking about 'what if’s’. It isn’t like me, right? Thinking about things like that is useless, after all!” A bitter smile appeared on his lips, face contorting as emotions got the best of him. His eyes were glossy, as if tears would fall any moment.

“But if I were there… If Rin-chan told me about Australia, I wouldn’t have been angry. I would have been so proud of him! I would have supported him! I would have told him to write to me and always do his best!” He choked on his words as he started crying. Tears fell continuously. “If I were there, I could have stopped Rin-chan from doing something stupid… If I were there, I would have thought about his feelings.”

He stared at Haruka. “Haru-chan, I’m sorry for thinking this way. It’s just that- I’ve been trying so hard to honor his death. I want to make him proud. It’s all I can do. I swim and join competitions and I always think that maybe Rin-chan would be proud of me… But then he showed up to  _you_. ** _He only shows himself to you._** ”

This time, Haruka looked up. Nagisa’s eyes were full of tears, staring right at him not with hatred or bitterness but pure sadness. He just felt lonely. It was a heart-crushing loneliness he felt, and he did not mean any harm. “Nagisa…”  _I’m sorry_. He wanted to tell Nagisa how proud Rin is of him, but he did not know if it was proper. It would just be like rubbing salt on his wounds.

“ _What’s wrong with me?_  Why can’t I see Rin-chan too? Even if you- Even if it was Haru-chan who-” He sniffed, wiping at his cheeks. “I don’t understand anymore…”

“Nagisa, Haru-chan is suffering too.” Makoto said gently, crouching in front of him and placing a hand on top of his head. “You know that, right? And you know how important Haru-chan is to Rin. We all know why he showed up to Haru.”

Nagisa looked at him, frowning. “That’s it, right…” He quietly muttered. Another change of tone. This time, there was more than just sadness in his tone. “Mako-chan is doing this for Haru-chan, right?” There was a gentle question in his voice, but also a hint of anger. “Despite doing all this… Are you thinking about Rin-chan at all?”

“Nagisa!”

“Nagisa-kun!”

Both of their team mates spoke up this time, surprised by Nagisa’s sudden question. He was not the type to say this. He would not intentionally hurt Makoto like this. Why? Why was he asking this?

To their surprise, Makoto sighed resignedly. “I  _am_  doing this for Haru-chan.” He looked at Nagisa with sincere eyes. His sad expression showed how complex his emotions were. This was not a simple matter at all.

“I don’t like this side of me either. I don’t like thinking this way. Seeing Nagisa work so hard for Rin-chan, I feel like I’m just being selfish… Everything I’m doing, it’s for Rin-chan too, but Haru is my first priority.” He was laying everything down honestly, to the point that you can’t get angry at all. He knew his own shortcomings, and he’s facing them head-on.

“Rin-chan’s gone now, and I want him to rest in peace. I want him to find his own peace. But Haru-chan is alive. We’re all alive. I don’t want Haru-chan to continue living as if he was dead. I don’t want Haru-chan to disappear for us too. He needs to move on, more than any of us. He needs to stop blaming himself for what happened.” He turned towards Haru. “When Rin-chan goes to heaven, I want to be sure Haru-chan will continue forward. I want you to swim again and forget Rin-”

“Not forget,” Nagisa interrupted. “ _Never_  forget, please.” He insisted.

Something changed in Makoto’s expression, a guilty frown was on his lips. He slowly nodded, understanding Nagisa’s sentiments.

“Mako-chan, I see your point. I know thinking about the living and about our own future is important. I think so too. But even if Rin-chan is dead, he’s never gonna disappear for me. He’ll always be by our side.” He looked up, a small smile appearing on his lips. His tears subsided now, and his eyes were obviously red. “He’ll always watch over us. It’s always that way, right? Rin-chan, even though he says he’s selfish or that he has his own motives, he would always think about our problems first. He’s the one who changed us, right?”

As if he was reminiscing about Rin’s speeches, Makoto smiled fondly. Ever since life got complicated because of that accident, he’s forgotten how precious those memories are for him. Now that he’s remembered, he fully sees where Nagisa was coming from. “Yes. Rin-chan really changed all of us, didn’t he?”

Nagisa then stood up and looked at Haruka. “How about Haru-chan? Isn’t it about time Haru-chan tell us what you really feel?”

Makoto looked worriedly at Haruka but nodded anyway. It was time they face this. “I think we need this too. Haru, why don’t you tell Rin what you really feel? That’s what’s been holding you back, right? You don’t want him to go without saying anything, right?”

“Nagisa, Makoto…” Haruka knew this was his only chance left. He knew this was the time to speak up. Despite being scared to say what was on his heart for so long, he knew it was needed now. It would definitely help. That day, that last time he said what was on his heart, he ran away even before hearing Rin’s side. Saying what was on his mind was not the problem. He realized that now. Rin was never angry about that. The wrong thing was to escape. And for five years, he continued escaping from reality. He pretended nothing was wrong, he pretended he was strong. He needs to stop that now. He needs to stop running away.

“That time,” He looked at Rin, who was sobbing at the side of the tree. With eyes shining full of emotions, he decided to say what was in his heart; things about the past, and about the present. “those were my real feelings. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you properly.”

Rin looked at him, wiping the tears off his face.

“All this time, I’ve always thought talking about my feelings was wrong. I thought I pushed you to your death.”

“No-" He almost smiled at how indignant Rin looked. More than anyone, Rin was the one who doesn’t want Haru to blame himself.

"I know now that that’s wrong. I ran away. That’s where I was wrong. I’m sorry.” He bowed deeply to Rin. “And everything I said… I  _did_  think like that, but-” This was all new to him, talking like this. Baring everything was something he only did once, and he was always  afraid to do so again. He took a deep breath and continued. “But the opposite is true too.”

“Eh?” Rin’s eyebrows furrowed, confused as to what he meant. “The opposite?”

This time, Haru was really smiling. A real smile he couldn’t show Rin before he left. “ _You_  were the one who pulled us into the relay.  _You_  approached us, talked to us, never gave up on pestering us.”

The others smiled as well.

“I said it before as if it was a bad thing, but it isn’t. The thought of you leaving was too much for me that time, that I completely missed the point.  ** _You changed us._**  You made us look into the future. You taught us things we would have never known if we never met you.” He stepped forward, still staring deep into Rin’s eyes. “Rather than blaming you, I should have said…  ** _thank you._** ”

“Haru…” Another batch of tears fell from Rin’s eyes. He always thought he was just annoying Haruka. Despite that, he continued talking to him and pulling him into things. He just wanted him to become better and better, and perhaps to get his attention too. He never expected Haruka to honestly say something like this.

“Thank you for existing. Thank you for coming into our lives.” His eyes were turning glassy, and everyone looked in shock as he looked like he would cry any minute now. “I’m sorry I couldn’t honestly say that to you when you were alive.” He looked down, and a tear fell. “Only realizing how important you were to me once you were gone, I felt like it was the biggest mistake of my life. I’m sorry. Rin was an important person,  _more important than anyone_ … I’m sorry I-”

Rin gently wiped his tears away. “Please just stick with the  _thank you_.” He smiled. “Just the thought of Haru being happy to have met me… I’m so happy already.” He glanced at everyone and made the decision there and then. “Yosh. Tell Rei to think about wanting to help everyone. If it’s that feeling, I’ll be able to synch with him properly.”

Haru nodded determinedly and repeated the instructions to Rei. Then, just with that, the possession was complete. It was that easy, after all. Their love for the group was just as big as the other’s. That was the one thing they both had in common.

But instead of rushing away to the relay as expected, Rin in Rei’s body stood in front of everyone and smiled that gentle and excited smile of his.

“I have a confession to make!” He announced, full of energy like a child. His grin was the exact replica of that grin he showed when he told them they would be the best team. “I realized something.” He glanced at each of them. “The relay isn’t my regret. Even without me, you’ll win that. Rei being here… I’m sure he could do it well. I’ve practiced with him all these time. You don’t need me for that. You’ll see the sight even without me.”

They all looked surprise, and Haru even looked like he was about to complain about his words.

He laughed. “I’m sure about this, so trust me okay? Instead of the relay, this was what I wanted.” He walked over to Haru and pulled him towards the other two so that they were all in arm’s reach of each other.

“Being able to talk honestly with everyone, being able to hear your thoughts for the last time… I wanted to do it after we won the relay. I wanted to say goodbye properly before I went to Australia. I never got that chance.” His expression showed contentment. This was really what he wanted, they knew.

“Nagisa,” He looked at the younger boy, a proud smile on his face. “I’ve taught you everything I knew… well, everything you could learn anyway. Rei’s pretty good at that too and I’ve told him all about how you learn so just ask for his advice, okay?”

He ruffled his hair fondly. “You’re always been like a little brother to me. So thank you for looking up to me so much. Having a little brother like you makes me the happiest big brother, you know?” He went ahead and hugged the smaller boy.  _“I’m so proud of you.”_

Just with those words, Nagisa’s burdens were dissolved away. It was as if all the hardships he went through these past 5 years were just for this moment. It was worth it, to hear Rin say those words. “Thank you, Rinrin.” He hugged him tightly, sobbing on his chest. “Thank you…”

Rin let go of Nagisa and then faced Makoto. He playfully flicked his forehead. “You haven’t changed at all, have you?” He grinned. “Are you an idiot? Who would actually think you’re being selfish?” He chuckled.

“Makoto, you know, you’re the type of person who doesn’t understand how great you are. Thinking about Haru’s future, thinking about how to move on after I’m gone, you’re not being selfish at all. You’re doing what you do best.” He hugged the taller boy and whispered, “Take care of them, okay? This is the team  _we_  built. If it’s you, you can handle them just fine. You’re going to be the best leader. I’m passing the baton over, okay?”

Makoto smiled at that, a few tears falling down his eyes. “I will. I’ll take care of the best team we made.” When he let go, all he could say was a quiet  _“I’ll miss you”._

Taking a deep breath, Rin finally turned to Haru. “You!” He chuckled and took his hand. “You’re going to be just fine now. Just keep talking more and more, okay? You’re already so great to begin with, so if you continue forward from here, you’ll be almost perfect.”

He bit his lip, somehow feeling emotional now. “You’re gonna be the best. But even if you reach all those fame and fortune, never ever forget me, okay?” He tightened his hold on Haru’s hand.

“If you forget me, I swear I’ll haunt you forever.” He said jokingly, crying by now. “Haru, thank you… Thank you for making this possible. Thank you for listening to me in the end, all the time. With the relay, and with this too. I’ve always been thankful for you, okay? Don’t ever think otherwise.  ** _You’re my most special person_**. I wouldn’t show up like this if you’re not. You’re special to me, so live forward. Live forward and be the best you can be.”

Rin then let go of his hand, and then went out of Rei’s body. Rei slackened, and was caught by Nagisa and Makoto. Smiling sadly, his spirit hugged Haru.

Since Haru was the only one he could touch like this, he didn’t want to use Rei’s body. He wanted to touch Haru in this special way. “For a time, I thought I wouldn’t mind staying here with Haru. Even as a ghost, as long as I can watch over you, that was fine with me. But that’s not what I should do, right? That’s why I’ll let go now.” He stepped back and placed a light kiss on Haru’s lips. “Take care, ne Haru? Win that relay for me!”

As if engulfed by light, Rin’s spirit slowly faded away.

**_“Goodbye, Rin.”_ **


	43. Broken Pieces [makorin mechanic au, dropped]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kinda wish i knew where i was going with this, but now i honestly don't remember

1.

“Makoto!” There were only a few times Haruka would get angry. If he was angry, it would most likely because someone touched his race car without permission or he was being banned from using the track. But this time, it was neither. He looked longingly towards the side where some of his colleagues were already fitting in their helmets and protective gears. “Makoto, I’ve heard enough. Just go back there and ask his number.”

His best friend blushed. He actually had the gall to blush and look embarrassed! After chattering about this wonderful Matsuoka Rin guy  _for an hour._ Haruka already knows so much about this guy: he was a racer before but now he’s a mechanic. Makoto was a fan from even before. He was more of a Rin fan than a Haruka fan (it wasn’t a big deal since Haruka never cared about fans anyway). And just yesterday, Makoto’s car broke down a street away from Rin’s mechanic shop so Makoto finally met his idol. Yes, his precious racing time was spent on hearing out Tachibana Makoto’s love problems.

“I- I don’t want to just go there and-” Makoto was stuttering.  _Actually stuttering_. “Wouldn’t that be creepy and weird?” He was looking down on his hands, looking seriously worried about what that former racer would think of him.

Despite himself, Haruka almost smiled. Yes, he’s annoyed that Makoto was talking about this troublesome thing. But still, this was Makoto. That best friend who never talks about his problems. That best friend who would listen to you for hours and give you advice and accompany you for as long as you like. He was that kind of guy. It was a first for Haruka to hear him be this confused about his own affairs. It was refreshing (which explains why Haruka let Makoto talk about it for a full hour). “Tell him you’re just going to the supermarket and passed through there. Bring him cake.” He shrugged.

“Ah! I could do that~” Makoto stood up, eyes wide. “Thanks, Haru!” He gave the his best friend a pat on the shoulder and smiled brightly. “You’re the best!”

—————————————————————————————

“I can’t do this…” Makoto paced back and forth at the side of the road, just a street away from Rin’s mechanic shop. “I’ll just give the cake to Haru-chan…”

“Tachibana-san?”

Jumping back in surprise, Makoto accidentally lets go of the small box of cake. His eyes were wide as he looks to his side to see a confused Rin. “Um… what a surprise, Matsuoka-san!” He tried to hide his embarrassment by crouching down to get the cake.

“Ah!” Rin crouched down as well to look at the cake. “I’m sorry. I think your cake got squashed because of me.”

“No, no!” Makoto shook his head repeatedly. “It was all my fault! Really, it’s okay! It’s just for me anyway and-”

Rin frowned. “It was my fault.” He said seriously. “Please let me make it up to you. I know a bake shop near here. I’ll buy you a new cake.”

Looking down, Makoto sighed. He knew Matsuoka Rin was someone who did not like owing debts. He knew that much, at least. After watching Rin for a year now (no, he was not a stalker), he knew that Rin would rather spend all his money on a stranger than owe any debt. That was exactly why Makoto was so drawn to him. “Fine.” He nodded. “I’m sorry…”

The redhead simply laughed at that. “I was craving some cake too. Why don’t we eat there together?” As they stood up, he glanced again to the other. “If that’s not a bother, I mean. Eating cake alone doesn’t seem as fun.”

A blush covering his cheeks, he nodded. “Sure!” Catching his over-enthusiasm, Makoto followed up with a quieter “Sure. I’ll be glad to.”

 

2.

As Makoto waited for Rin to finish ordering their cake and to come back to their table, his thoughts wander to that day 3 months ago, that day when Makoto first saw Rin cry…

 

 

_“Sousuke! Sousuke!” Rin jumped the fence and ran as fast as he can to the side of the road where Sousuke’s race car was. He looked at the stand and shouted “MEDICS! HURRY!”_

 

 

_Makoto stared in utter disbelief. He was here to watch Rin’s first race in a while, but he found out earlier that Rin was feeling sick and so his best friend was going for his team. He never expected things to turn out this way._

 

 

_Matsuoka Rin looked like he didn’t know what to do. He watched helplessly as the medics took his best friend into a stretcher and carried him off to the ambulance. Tears were falling down his face as he rushed to follow them. “Sorry, sorry…” He cried to the unconscious figure of his friend. “Sousuke, I’m so sorry…” The last thing Makoto saw was Rin clutching Sousuke’s hand as they disappeared from his view._

 

Days later, Makoto heard about Rin and Sousuke quitting the sport. Sousuke had an injury and it would take months to recuperate, they said. No one said a word about Rin and why he quit. He just did. Even though he was one of the most passionate racers in the field, he just suddenly vanished.

And then about 1 month ago, Makoto heard from a fellow fan about Rin having a mechanic shop which he apparently inherited from his father. Though he did pass through the shop numerous times and peeked a bit inside, he only got to ask for help from the shop a few days ago. It seemed like fate when his car suddenly broke down near the shop. The repair only took a few minutes though, so it really was nothing special.

—

…But this. Wasn’t this really good? Eating out together is a really good sign, right?

Makoto stared at his hands, thinking deeply. He hasn’t talked to Rin for this long, so he really didn’t know what to say. Besides, he doesn’t want Rin to know that he’s a fan. At all cost, him knowing about racing and Rin’s past is a big no-no. That would probably just upset him, since he disappeared from the racing scene a while back.

“Here,” Rin walked over with a tray of cake and drinks on hand. “It was this type of cake, right?”

“Yes.” Makoto answered taking the plates out of the tray to help out. “Thank you, really.” He added, smiling widely.

Chuckling, Rin shook his head. “It’s nothing. Rather, I’d like to thank you. It would have been embarrassing to eat alone and eating like this is more fun.” He happily took a bite of his chocolate cake. “You see, since I work at my shop 24/7, people around town see me as this macho guy who doesn’t like sweets… I really don’t get it? Sweets are great!”

Makoto laughed as well. “You really don’t look like someone who likes sweets. When you work, you’re always frowning and even when-” His eyes widened as he realized what he was about to say. Wouldn’t it make him obvious? Steering the conversation away from that, he said “We-well, it’s just a stereotype, right?”

Rin tilted his head to the right, somehow catching the pause he just did. He didn’t ask further though, perhaps to be polite. “How was your car, by the way? You’re walking today.”

“Ah, I don’t really use it much when I’m going to the office. It’s just for special occasions, somehow.” Makoto explained. When he bought his car after two years of working as a part of society, he never really put into consideration how much the cost of maintenance was. Seeing as taking a train was quite easier, he somehow ended up giving up the thought of using it daily. Besides, he really just bought it for those times when Haruka asks him to bring heavy things or when Nagisa needs a ride. More than for himself, it was more for the convenience of helping his friends.

A small smile appeared on Rin’s lips. “Ah~ That pattern, right?” He looked at Makoto with a slightly calculating expression as he added, “I can read what kind of person the owner is when I inspect their car. It’s a special skill.”

“Eh?” Makoto’s expression turned into one of curiosity. “What did you find out from my car?”

“Hm, first of all, you’re practical and you choose your things very smartly. You’re serious about your work. You’re sentimental and treasure your friends.” His smile turned into a knowing smirk. “When you like someone, you would work hard for them, but you’re not the type to show it or ask for anything in return. You would just watch them be happy without trying to make them like you back.”

Makoto blinked in confusion. “All that from my car? And what’s-” He blushed a bit. “What’s that about liking someone? That’s too specific, somehow.”

Rin playfully stuck out a tongue. “Aren’t I like a great detective?” He chuckled. “It’s pretty easy, you know. For example, your car is very clean but you obviously don’t use it often. You said you live alone but it’s a car for a small family. The things on your compartment weren’t yours, were they?”

“Ah… those were the things my friends-” Makoto’s eyes widened. “You noticed that too?”

“You opened it so I caught a glimpse.” Rin shrugged. “You’re a salaryman working at that big company, right? I saw your card. So when I saw those things in there, I thought for sure they weren’t yours.”

For a moment, all Makoto could do was try to remember what things were in his glove compartment. Nagisa left maps and brochures there from their last trip through Kyoto. Rei left a small notebook and a physics book in there at that time (Makoto gave it back the next day). Haruka had- Makoto sighed in relief. Haruka didn’t leave anything at that time, luckily. (Today, there’s a ticket of a race event in his glove compartment). “My friends often ask for favors and all.”

“You really look like someone who would help anyone.” Rin laughed. “A good samaritan feel? Ah, ah! Your smile looks like the smile of someone who does charity during Christmas instead of going to a date.”

Makoto blinked in confusion. “That’s the first time I heard something like that…” He said, then in a whisper, he added, “besides, during Christmas, I’m always only with friends…”

Rin chuckled and said triumphantly, “See? What I said about you and your love interests were right, wasn’t it? They probably never realize your intentions!”

The topic was really pretty personal for a chat with a simple acquiantance. Makoto never pegged Rin to be this kind of talkative, over-friendly person. Perhaps because he only ever saw him in the race track and at work, he has a very skewed view of Rin. This side of Rin somehow just made Makoto like him even more. ‘Ah… isn’t that really bad?’ He thought to himself.

They started talking about more things, like Rin’s job and how he really wants to make the shop bigger, and Makoto’s job and how boring it is sometimes. As they continued this casual talk while eating their cake, the door opened and a tall tanned guy walked in. Rin’s back was to the door so he didn’t notice, but Makoto had a perfect view of his face. The guy walked directly to their table. Makoto simply stared in shock.

“Rin!” It was Sousuke, looking quite healthy and fine but extremely worried.

Upon hearing that voice, Rin’s expression turned 180 degrees. The smiling, friendly Rin was gone, replaced by a frowning, volatile one. “Tachibana-san, it was nice talking to you.” He forced a smile. “It’s about time I go home.” He bowed down before walking straight out without even looking at his best friend.

“Rin…” Sousuke looked sadly at his back, but seemed to not have the energy to follow.

 

3.

Makoto watched in baited breath as Rin went out the door and as Sousuke stood there in utter silence. It was beyond confusing how these two, who he sees as the closest kind of friends that are almost like brothers, would actually have this kind of atmosphere. It was not like friends having a minor qualm, or brothers fighting over something trivial. That look that Rin gave Sousuke was a look of someone who wanted to get away from here as soon as possible. Though rather than hatred, it was more like fear with a pinch of anger.

“Tachibana-san, right?” Sousuke walked over to his table, standing just beside the chair as if waiting for Makoto to offer him a seat.

His etiquette was more important than his overall confusion as of the moment, so he did offer the seat while confirming that  _yes, I am Tachibana Makoto._  There was that confusion in his face still, of course. “How did you know my name?” He asked as Sousuke settled into the seat.

Sousuke’s smile was practiced but not completely fake. “I’ve met you once in the racing track, when you were talking with Nanase. It has been a while. I’m sorry for barging in like this.” He bowed his head a bit before offering his calling card. Polite and curt, he seemed very used to handling people. He would fit right in with the executives at Makoto’s work place. “If I may ask, did you talk to Rin about his career?”

This was one thing Makoto was extremely worried about. “If you meant racing, then no. We did talk about the mechanic shop…”

“Ah…” Sousuke’s spirit was obviously dampened by this. “Is that so…”

“Matsuoka-san is very happy with his work right now.” Makoto then said, feeling a sudden responsibility to explain Rin’s side. It might be nosy of him, but this was something he had to do. Rin really did sound happy earlier. “He enjoys talking with the customers and he loves repairing the cars for them.”

“But is that really what he wants…?” The ex-racer looked so tired of everything. His usual refreshing smile was nowhere to be seen. What happened to the two to make them like this? Sousuke sighed and stood up. “I’m sorry, really. I shouldn’t drag you into our issues. It’s our own business, after all.” He bowed down once more before bidding farewell.

It took a few minutes before Makoto started eating his cake again. The words  _it’s our own business_ rang through his mind, making him think of what he really wants to happen from now.

**—**

Nagisa was the type of person who would always be happy. Even when faced with a problem, he would smile and move forward. But on the other hand, he was also a worrier. He never cries for himself, but always seem to know everyone else’s problem and cries for them. He was that type of person. To top it all off, he could see through his friends’ worries. Even if they’re all smiling, he could pinpoint exactly who has a problem.

Like today with Makoto…

“Mako-chan, where did you go today?” Nagisa was lounging around Makoto’s bed, waiting for Makoto to bring in the tea and cake. “You came home late!” They live in the same apartment so sometimes Nagisa would come here and bring dinner for Makoto. Sometimes he would bring Rei as well.

Makoto smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I ate cake in that new shop by the station.”

Nagisa hummed, watching his every move. “Alone?”

Something sparked in his expression. “Well, I was with an acquaintance… He bought me cake.”

“Aaah~” Nagisa nodded then, grinning widely. As if completely ignoring that answer, he then said, “Ne, ne! We’re going to a beach tomorrow! Can you drive me and Rei-chan and our other friend?”

Makoto was honestly relieved that he didn’t press further. It was a topic he did not want to remember anymore. Besides, he was used to being asked to drive for his friends, mainly because everyone just really can’t do it for themselves sometimes (Nagisa is an atrocious driver, Rei can’t drive at night and Haruka doesn’t know what a speed limit is). Suffice to say, he does everything he could so his friends would be safe.  “I’m free tomorrow so it’s fine.”

With a high-pitched squeal of happiness, the smaller boy jumped up and hugged him tightly. “Mako-chan is the best!”

**—**

Makoto woke up early that Saturday just to make sure he had everything they need. Nagisa was careless about these things so despite his love for adventure and travelling, it’s mostly Rei and Makoto who arranges the things that he would bring. Checking everything in his bag, he nodded to himself and loaded them all in his car.

Looking at his car reminded him of his conversation with Rin. It was so fun and they had so much to talk about, and yet… Somehow, it became a bittersweet memory. Still, it was a memory he cherished. He probably would never meet Rin again in that kind of miraculous encounter, after all. It was just a beautiful coincidence. Something like that won’t happen again.

 

As he drove to Rei’s house (Nagisa slept there to ‘make things easier’, apparently), he checked his phone for messages. Haruka didn’t reply again. He hates using phones and being bothered, so despite Makoto’s messages, he would always ignore everything. That was all fine; since Makoto just wanted him to know that he was on a trip.

He arrived about fifteen minutes early but everyone was already in the living room, talking and eating breakfast together. Nagisa, Rei and their friend was sitting closely on the couch together. Upon seeing him, both Nagisa and Rei stood up with wide smiles on their faces. Rei immediately bowed politely and said “Thank you for helping us! Nagisa’s being a brat again so…” He looked really apologetic.

“Rei-chan! How mean!” Nagisa immediately latched himself on Makoto’s arm. “Mako-chan would have fun in the beach! I’ll make sure of it!” He grinned while peeking cutely at the taller boy’s unsettled expression. “Don’t worry! It’ll be a day to remember, okay?” He giggled as if he had everything planned for Makoto’s  _happiness._  Honestly, everyone in the room was worried. “Oh!” Letting go, Nagisa plopped down the couch and gestured to the girl beside him. “This is Gou-chan. She’s a nurse at the University clinic. She’s my best friend~”

“Don’t call me  _Gou._ ” The girl was glaring at Nagisa as if they weren’t friends at all. “Call me Kou,  _please._ ” She said, standing up to offer her hand. “Nagisa has told me so much about you, Tachibana-san. Thank you for driving us today.”

Gou had brilliant red hair and eyes just like Rin. It contributed to Makoto’s uncomfortable feeling. But still, this girl was being nice. He should just enjoy today. Nagisa won’t do anything traumatic anyway… probably.

**—**

The trip to the beach took almost two hours. By the time they were at the small cottage they rented, they were all hungry already. Nagisa and Rei volunteered to cook for all of them, saying that both Gou and Makoto were just not meant to cook. (Makoto knew all kinds of housework but he never quite learned how to cook, since both his mom and Ran would spoil him with lots of home-cooked food. When he moved out, it was Nagisa who would provide him with dinner.)

Leaving the two alone gave Makoto and Gou a chance to know more about each other. “How long have you been friends? I always assumed Nagisa’s best friend was a guy…” Makoto said, reminiscing all the times Nagisa talked about Gou in his apartment.

“Tsk,” Gou pouted, glaring at Nagisa’s general direction. “He’s the only one outside of my family who calls me Gou. That idiot.” She shook her head, as if to disperse all those thoughts. “We studied in the same college. I helped out in the Track and Field team and since Nagisa always visited Rei-chan, we became close.” She giggled as she remembered how clingy Nagisa was and how Rei got jealous of their closeness. “You were friends with him since elementary school, right? He loves talking about his precious Mako-chan.” She laughed some more.

A fond smile appeared on his face. “Nagisa’s a really good kid. That’s why even if he asks for any kind of favour; it would always be a pleasure to help. He always helps me out in my apartment too.”

Their whole conversation centered around Nagisa and Rei, about how they met and about their impressions and memories of the two. In this way, despite how long they talked, they never quite knew much about each other’s personal affairs.

**—**

Through the whole time they were together, Makoto had no time to think about any problems. Nagisa made sure of that. They all played around in the beach, did volleyball with another random team Nagisa called out, and ate lots of food Rei had listed out for them to try. It was the kind of day you could only get by being around those two. They were perfect tour guides.

After the sun had set, Nagisa and Rei disappeared out of the blue.

“We should go soon.” Makoto said worriedly, looking around the area then at his cellphone screen. “I wonder where they went…”

Gou scrunched up her nose. “I really don’t want to know.” She sighed. “Oh, those two.”

“Eh?” He really didn’t know how to respond to that, knowing full well what she was thinking. Honestly, he was also thinking those two might be having some ‘alone time’ right now but he dared not imply it. Looks like he and Gou are both used to those two’s escapades though. “Should we head over to the car?”

“Hmm…” She frowned as she checked her phone. “Yeah, we-“

Before she could walk to the place where they parked the car, a red sports car stopped in front of them.  The windows rolled down and revealed a confused looking Matsuoka Rin. “Gou? …And Tachibana-san?”

“Nii-chan!” Gou looked really pleased to see the older boy.

 _Wait, what? Brother?_ Makoto stared wide-eyed at the two. So his hunch was right after all! Nagisa was planning something along these lines?! How did he even know Rin would be here? That little… “Matsuoka… Gou?” was all he could say in all his confusion.

She looked up at him in surprise. “Oh! I never did tell you my surname, did I?” She laughed. “I assumed you knew. Ah… But you know my brother?” She glanced back at Rin then at Makoto.

“He fixed my car a few days ago…” It was still really very confusing where Nagisa’s plan was heading.

“Oh.” Gou suddenly grinned as if everything made sense. “You’re the guy.”

The two boys stared at him in confusion. “What guy?”

She simply giggled and looked at her phone. “Ah, I knew it.” She shook her head while laughing. “I’m going to get some things from Nagi-chan. Nii-chan, wait here okay? I might need a lift back home.”

Rin rolled his eyes but did not complain. “Just be fast.”

Gou winked at Makoto before running off to wherever Nagisa is supposed to be. The uncomfortable feeling inside his stomach returned with ten times its usual force. “So… um, Matsuoka-san, did you play at the beach too?”

The other boy’s expression was unreadable as he opened the door and stood beside Makoto. Instead of answering the question, he said “I’m sorry about what happened last time.” He had his head bowed down, looking at the ground as if too embarrassed to look at Makoto’s face. “It was rude to just leave like that, wasn’t it?”

Makoto smiled gently and shook his head.  “You have your own issues to deal with, I understand. It would be rude of me to judge you because of that.”

“You’re really kind…” Rin sighed then, glancing at him with a small smile.

A soft blush covered his cheeks. It was his turn to look down in embarrassment. “It’s not really being kind, this sort of thing… It’s just basic human etiquette”

That made Rin laugh loudly. “That means a lot of people doesn’t have basic human etiquette.” He grinned at Makoto. “You’re a really kind guy, just accept it. Besides, if you can put up with that Nagisa, I’m sure you’re kinder than most people.”

Makoto blinked. “Nagisa-kun’s not that bad!”

“See? The fact that you don’t even see how manipulative-“ Before he could finish his sentence, both their phones beeped, signalling a new message. “Onii-chan, will you please send Tachibana-san home? We need his car for something.” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re letting Nagisa borrow your car?”

“Ah… I was supposed to drive them back home but-“ Makoto frowned, completely understanding Nagisa’s plan now. Thought miraculous encounters surely won’t let him see Rin again, there’s still Nagisa and his schemes. What a…  _supportive_ friend. “I’m sorry. I should- I probably should take the bus instead.”

Rin was not listening to that though. “Yeah, right.” He walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door, gesturing for Makoto to come inside. “I won’t let you go home like that. It’s too late and you deserve to rest properly. You must be tired, right?”

He was tired more than anything, and perhaps because of that, he could only meekly nod and follow suit. Of course, deep in his mind, he noted down the fact that Rin was the type who would open doors for a friend. “Thanks.”

“You drove them here, right?” Rin shook his head in disbelief. “Nagisa has you in his little paws.”

Makoto laughed lightly. “I had fun in the beach, so it was nothing. He always makes it a fun day so I would volunteer even if they don’t ask me.”

“Man, you’re too kind.” Rin glanced at him with that adoring expression, as if he admired that part of Makoto with all his heart. It took all of Makoto’s willpower not to assume anything from that. He started the car and brought back his attention to the road. “Let’s go then. The travel’s pretty long.”

—

After a brief moment of silence, Rin opened up another conversation. “You seemed pretty close with Gou, even though you’ve just met.” He noted, sounding like a strict big brother all of a sudden.

“Ah!” Makoto didn’t really know why he wanted to explain but somehow he was panicking. “Your little sister is really fun to talk to, and since we didn’t want to be a bother to the lovey-dovey couple…”

Rin chuckled, nodding in understanding. “Those two are really intimate, aren’t they? Even though Rei never looked quite that type…”

Makoto’s lips turned upward to a joyous proud smile. “Nagisa has that effect on him. Ah, did you hear about the wedding?”

“Ah, I did.” Rin smiled as well. “They’ll go on an extended vacation and get married overseas, right?” He just looked weirded out by the whole idea.

The taller boy couldn’t help but frown. “Are you… um, don’t you-“  He really didn’t know how to phrase the question without sounding angry or condescending.

As if sensing his discomfort, Rin shook his head. “I think they’re perfect for each other.” He explained, voice showing sincerity. He was not some judgemental man or anything like that. “When you find  _the one,_ I think that’s the only thing you can think of. You want to spend the rest of your life with that person. I find that very romantic…” He sighed, a little dreamily. “You see, I like things like that.”

“But your expression earlier…” Makoto was sure he wasn’t just imagining it.

“No, I’m all for marrying but it’s sad that they have to go overseas to do it.” Rin then pouted like a child (and Makoto was condemning himself inwardly for wanting to  _do something_  to it). “Besides, I can’t go to that wedding because I have work. You do too, right?”

Makoto had accepted that fate already, but it did seem unfair that he couldn’t be in his friends’ important day. “Only their siblings and parents can go.”

Rin was still pouting as he said “It sucks that they have to do that ceremony and all their friends can’t witness it.”

“It’s… The ceremony got delayed too because there are many papers they have to handle.” Makoto frowned, remembering how angry Rei was. “Nagisa said it’ll be two months from now.”

There was silence as the two seemed to be in deep thought. Then, as if being struck by a brilliant idea, Rin smiled widely and exclaimed “Why don’t we throw them a big party? We have two months to prepare and we could have them do a fake ceremony just so they could do it with everyone they love…”

Makoto smiled as well, completely agreeing with the idea. “That’s great! We could ask everyone to help and-”

Just like that, the two talked for the next two hours about what kind of party they should arrange and about which people they should invite. They happily talked like that without any breaks.

But finally, they reached Makoto’s neighbourhood. “You could let me off here. It’s just a few streets away. You’re going the other way, right?”

Rin rolled his eyes and refused to open the door. “Idiot.” He drove to the street without second thought. “I have a car. It’s not like you’re being a bother. It’s my pleasure, okay?”

Makoto really had to stop feeling all embarrassed over everything Rin says, he thought as Rin asked him for the directions. Just a few minutes later, they were in front of Makoto’s house. “Do you want to come in for some tea, or something?” As proper etiquette dictates, he offered for Rin to come inside his tiny little apartment, despite how nervous he was about the whole idea.

“Sure,” Rin was overly casual again and very much over friendly. Maybe he’s really just like that to people. They’ve talked a lot, after all. Maybe they’re friends now.

 

As they went out of the car and walked to the stairs, a voice called out to them. “Makoto…?”

It was Haruka with Ren and Ran on his sides. The Tachibana twins looked at Rin in curiosity while Haruka simply raised an eyebrow.

But before Makoto could react, Rin already exclaimed a breathless “Haru!” His cheeks were pink and his eyes were wide with what seems to be excitement.

_Makoto felt a dark future ahead of him._


	44. Merman Rin x Mako

**_they meet_ **

_“Come here,” Rin knew how much power his voice had. Only a bit more push and that bespectacled guy would be under the water, losing oxygen and drowning like the hundreds before him. Men are weak, after all. “Come on, swim to me…”_

_Eyes dazed the guy swam farther and farther away from the shore. Farther and farther away from his friends and safety._

_Rin knew him to be the weakest link. He watched them earlier, looking for someone he could trick. They were excellent swimmers, but this one was a newbie. This one… “Rei-chan” is what he’s called. And he has insecurities and weaknesses that could be so easily exploited. “You can do it. Swim.”_

_When he was close enough, Rin sang, willing for the waves to grow stronger, willing for the wind to blow chaotically. A smirk was on his lips as he watched him struggle. “Give up. Just give up.” His voice was calm and convincing._

_“H-help!” Rei wasn’t entirely helpless, though. He seemed to have awoken from his daze and is now flailing around his arms and trying to stay afloat. “Someone!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. “Please! Help!”_

_Rin enjoyed this. He enjoyed seeing them squirm, seeing them so helpless. Humans are useless underwater, and the superiority that thought gives is enough to make him want to laugh. He continued singing._

_And then… And then, something different happened._

_Someone was suddenly swimming towards them. That… that “Makoto” swam to them, panic showing in his expression._

_But there was something more in his expression. There was fear unlike any other he’s seen. His eyes were wide and there was a dark shadow on his face, as if he’s seen a ghost. As if the raging water was a monster he once fought before. Rin wanted to let Rei go and instead drag Makoto down with him. Makoto is afraid of the sea. It was the best kind of fear for this moment. It was deliciously appropriate._

_Except, instead of breaking down or being frozen long enough, Makoto gulped down and swam forward quickly. The merman could almost hear his adrenaline pumping through his veins. This human… this human just barreled forward and stashed away his fear. He pulled at Rei against all odds and was somehow able to fight off the waves. He held on to him with eyes full of determination._

_The waves continued raging. Once the song has been sung, not even Rin could stop the sea._

_Makoto’s expression was that of someone who would never give up. It was the expression of someone who would give his life just to save his friend._

_Something… something tugged inside Rin. He knew that expression. He sees that in his reflection whenever Nitori or Gou ends up in trouble._

_Humans are weak underwater. Humans are weak._

_But maybe, maybe Rin isn’t completely right about them. Maybe they’re not as weak as he’s expected._

_Before he knew what he was doing, he was already swimming towards the two, snagging their arms with both of his and dragging them away from the most dangerous part. He pulled at them until they were in the shore of another deserted island._

_He panted, lying them down on the sand. “Tsk,” He rolled his eyes as he saw that the two had fainted. He could hear the faint breathing of the other one. But Makoto… the strong man who insisted on swimming against the waves of fear, his breathing was much slower._

_“You’re supposed to be the one alive.” Rin huffed, dragging himself closer using his elbows. He hated being above the water, hated the vulnerability it gave him. But he had to do this one thing. He felt the need to. He placed his lips on Makoto’s ear, letting his voice’s power ring clear. “You will wake up. Breath.” He concentrated all efforts on his voice. “Breath. It’s okay now. You’re safe. Rei-chan needs you.” He repeated more soothing words, letting his power wash over the boy._

_Soon, Makoto coughed out the water he ingested, eyes widening as he sat up. He looked around and saw Rei lying beside him, unconscious. “Rei!”_

_What he didn’t see was the red tail of a merman diving back deep into the ocean, trying to get far, far away from the man whose determined eyes will forever haunt him in his dreams._

**_he comes back_ **

__

_It took about half a year for Makoto to go back to that island. He knew something happened that night when Rei almost drowned. He vaguely remembers cold, slippery hands holding on to him. He vaguely remembers a soft, melodic voice telling him to wake up. After that day, for the months that followed, he continued dreaming about that voice._

_Maybe it was futile to come here, especially to come here alone without anyone beside him. The ocean was still a scary monster waiting to strike, waiting to devour him. His fear was still as strong as ever._

_But the voice continued to whisper in his mind. “Come here. Please.” It was the same voice that saved his life, but these were new words. He dreamed about it a few days ago. “Please, Makoto.” Until now, the choked off sob that followed that sentence breaks his heart._

_“I’m here now. Where are you?” Makoto whispered to himself. He sat on the shore that whole afternoon, wondering what he should do._

_When night came, he took off his clothes and started swimming towards the point he remembered. It was dark and scary, to be honest. It wasn’t only the sea, it was also the cold wind and the darkness. Everything felt wrong and all his nerves shouted for him to go back. To go back to safety, to somewhere warm._

_“Where are you?” He asked, louder this time. It felt ridiculous, swimming out here and calling out for someone he didn’t even know. All he knew was the voice, not a face or a name. He didn’t even know if the person would be here. (Why would he be? All of this is just Makoto’s wishful thinking.)_

_“You came.”_

_The voice rang clear behind him. It was that melodic voice, that beautiful voice that haunted his dreams. Makoto couldn’t stop a huge smile from appearing on his face. “You’re-” His eyes widened as soon as he caught sight of him. More particularly, of his shining tail. “You’re a merman!” He exclaimed, his whole body stiffening in shock._

_“Great observational skills you got there.” The merman rolled his eyes and stretched out his arms, letting his tail fall back into the water. He made no move to come closer, instead watching Makoto with one eyebrow raised. “So, any particular reason why you’re wading into dangerous territory? You might accidentally drown here, or something.” He gestured around the whole area._

_“I-” Surprisingly, he got over the fear very quickly. What followed was an intense curiosity, and a strange need to get closer. “What’s your name?”_

_The redhaired merman blinked, probably confused. “Are you serious?” He frowned. “You just saw a merman and you're **afraid**  of me.” He crossed his arms and glowered at him. “You should go.”_

_Makoto stared at him, thinking about how beautiful his eyes looked when the light of the moon shines on it. He stared at his hair, and his skin, and his muscular arms. Everything was better than he expected. That beautiful voice was owned by such a beautiful person. “You don’t want me to.” He replied softly, watching as a flicker of emotion passed through his face before it hardened back to a scowl. “You’ve been calling for me.”_

_—_

_Rin knew this day would come. He knew ever since 6 months ago, ever since he first dreamed about those determined green eyes. He knew Makoto would come back. He didn’t exactly understand how he knew, and he never really clung on to the hope. But instinctively, a part of him continued to hope the reunion would come soon._

_And yet, when it did come… When he heard Makoto’s voice, when he saw Makoto stiffen in fear upon seeing his tail, he regressed back to being rude. “Great observational skills you’ve got there.” Instead of saying what he wanted to say, he sarcastically replied. He used a cold front instead of warmly smiling and thanking him for coming._

_Instead of saying “I’m glad you came” or “Please stay”, what he ended up saying was _“So, any particular reason why you’re wading into dangerous territory? You might accidentally drown here, or something.” and “You should go.”__

__Deep inside, all he wanted was to rush forward and hug the man. But somehow, his whole system felt like it was malfunctioning._ _

__But despite his harsh words, despite the scowl on his face, Makoto stared at him in awe. His eyes shone with admiration, fear and surprise tucked inside him easily. “You don’t want me to.” He said, breaking Rin’s facade for just a second, before he added “You’ve been calling for me.”_ _

__Rin closed his eyes, unable to focus while looking straight at him. He wondered briefly if this was a dream, if this was a majorly embarrassing vivid dream that would just leave him disappointed. “How would you know that?” He asked instead, still with his eyes closed._ _

__He heard the water ripple around him. Makoto was swimming towards him. “Because I heard you.” He simply said, his voice soft and concerned. It was weird, feeling entranced by someone else’s voice. But as his voice was melodic and manipulative, Makoto’s was just gentle and warm. He wanted to be enveloped in that voice. “You said you wanted me to come here.”_ _

__Rin slowly opened his eyes to see those eyes staring right at him. “I did.” He replied in a whisper, nervousness clear in his tone. “I couldn’t help it anymore.” It was all so overwhelming, having him this near. Having a real Makoto right in front of him. Not a dream, but a human with flesh and blood. “I dreamed about you too.”_ _

__A smile that made his eyes twinkle appeared on his face as he placed a light hand on Rin’s shoulder. “What’s your name?”_ _

__“I’m Rin. Matsuoka Rin.”_ _

__And that moment, underneath the light of the moon, was the start of their story._ _

**_and they live happily ever_ _after_ **

****

_Rin was not sweet, or particularly nice. He was brash and sometimes harsh and he sometimes say things before he thinks about them. And Makoto, slowly, realized how he expressed himself._

_It was in the way he slows down when they’re having a race, swimming fast but not as fast as how mermen usually do. In the way his tail would lightly brush against Makoto’s leg when they swim together. In the way his hands would casually drape over Makoto’s chest when they lie together on the beach. In the way his voice softens when Makoto was near._

_It was in the way he sings softly to Makoto’s ears, songs of enchantment that boosts Makoto’s health and abilities (instead of curses that mermen usually sing)._

_It was in the way he rushes forward whenever he sees Makoto on the shore, and how he belatedly slows down in embarrassment._

_It was in the way he murmurs “thank you for being here” when he thinks Makoto is sleeping beside him on the shore._

_Makoto slowly understood Rin, and so as best as he could, he uses his own words to say how much the other boy means to him. “I love you” he softly says, as he weaves their hands together. “I love you”_


	45. clingy relay ot5 feels

_“Rin-san, there’s space for three people in the couch.” Rei grouches from the floor, glaring right at the redhead with the force of a thousand soldiers._

_With a highly uninterested grunt, Rin just holds Nagisa tighter around the waist, pulling the smaller boy’s back snuggly into his chest. Giggling a bit, Nagisa just shook his head fondly and patted the arm around him. “Do you want to offer your lap, Rei-chan?” He asks, eyes wide and curious. “There’s space right there.” He shifts to point at the small space above his head._

_“No, thanks.” Rei grumbles, sitting back on the floor with his back to the couch. He was all ready to say some sarcastic comments about everything when Nagisa’s hand settled on his head, massaging his scalp slowly._

_Rin just scoffs when Rei moans appreciatively. And then he smiles widely when Makoto asked if he could offer his lap to be their pillow._

_Haruka just stares at them, munching on his mackerel and wondering how the hell they could even sit that close with each other. It must be suffocating. (But probably nice, given how happy they looked. Haruka wonders how much a king-sized bed is, just in case he needs it soon.)_


	46. mako calms rin

_Makoto discovers it on an afternoon just after their joint practice._

_Rin had been ranting in frustration about how Mikoshiba has been using these events to get close to his sister. He was very angry and very, very frustrated at the same time, and both of those together makes an unsightly Rin._

_Close to panicking as well, he’s never really been that good with calming down Rin before, Makoto had edged forward with no specific goal in mind. He was so close he could feel the anger radiating off of Rin. And then, for no reason at all, he leaned forward and placed his forehead on Rin’s. “Calm down” He whispered._

_And it worked. It worked so well that Rin stared wide-eyed at him and let out a shuddering breath before his whole body just… he just slumped towards Makoto and let the taller boy hold him by the shoulders._

_It took a minute later before Rin could speak again, this time his breathing was slow and normal. “Thanks.” He said, sounding casual but looking everywhere but Makoto._

_—_

_“Haru! I told you! You should-”_

_There it was again, that glare and that voice and that posture of defiance… Makoto could feel heat radiating from him in waves. “Rin,” He tried, stepping closer from behind. But Rin’s full attention was in Haruka, who had caught a cold and still swam today. “Rin,” He tried again, inching closer and closer._

_And then Makoto, as his instincts told him, just let his forehead rest on Rin’s right shoulder. “Rin, please.” He whispered, much too softly for anyone to hear this time. “It’s fine.” He added, feeling the tension from Rin’s body dissipate into the air._

_Just like magic, Rin’s muscles relaxed and his stance became much more natural. He nodded submissively, turning a bit to squeeze Makoto’s bicep in what might be a silent gesture of gratefulness._

_One’s an incident and two’s a coincidence._

_—_

_And three’s a pattern, Makoto thought to himself as he watched Rin lean towards him with a defeated sigh. Rin’s head settled on leaning on his chest, murmuring a small choked off “thanks”._

_Instead of answering, Makoto just placed a hand on his back and let him breath in and out quietly. He didn’t say a word even as he felt the wetness on his shirt, tears of frustration and sadness freely flowing._

_After what seems to be hours, Rin looked up with red, puffed up eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.” He said, almost as a whisper, like a prayer. “You help a lot.”_

_Makoto smiled softly and leaned forward to touch their foreheads together just like the first time. “I’m glad to be of help.”_

_+++_

_“Rin,” Makoto gently rubbed his forehead against the back of the other boy’s neck, nuzzling in a way that’s familiar now. They were sitting beside the Samezuka pool; Rin at the edge with his feet dipping into it and Makoto behind him with both his legs bracketing Rin on either side. “Are you okay now?” He asked with the utmost concern._

_Nodding slowly, Rin kept his head bowed down and hid his face. His neck and ear were red though, so it was obvious how embarrassed he was. Despite this, he was also breathing in its usual pace, and the tension from his muscles were gone. He let his back lean on Makoto’s chest, letting Makoto’s forehead fall on the side of his neck._

_“I’m glad.” The taller boy smiled softly. They both didn’t quite understand how this became a regular thing, didn’t quite get why Makoto could seep away Rin’s anger with just one single touch. But it was helpful in so many ways and Makoto was simply happy to see him peaceful like this. (He’s been through so much, and Makoto would do anything to protect him from all those)._

_Rin chuckled, knocking their heads together playfully. “I realized something.” He said, amusement clear in his voice. “You’re a_ **tranquilizer** _” He said the last part in English, just because._

_Makoto blinked in confusion, resting his chin on Rin’s shoulder to be able to look at his face better. “What?” He asked._

_Rin just smiled to himself and looked away. “Nothing” Then, with a softer voice, he added, “Just– Thanks. For everything.”_


	47. whipped [harurin]

“You are 100% whipped.” Mikoshiba explained slowly, as if this was an important lesson Rin needed to learn.

Rin glared at him. “What?”

“ _You are one hundred percent whipped._ ” He repeated patiently.

“I heard you!” Rin growled, annoyed. “What I’m asking is, what the hell does that even mean?”

Mikoshiba sighed and placed a hand on Rin’s shoulder, offering a supportive smile as he said “Haruka Nanase has got a hold on you so strong and you don’t even know it.”

“Huh?!” Rin stood up, gaping at his captain. “I’m not!” He crossed his arms and glared harder, hoping to somehow show that he is totally awesome and will never bow down to anyone.

But then his phone rang. A text message. [You left something at my house. Come and get it.] Rin narrowed his eyes at the phone.

[Just keep it. Give it to me next time we have a joint practice.] Rin replied. He looked up to see Mikoshiba smiling confidently at him. “Shut up. I am  _not_  whipped.”

[It’s dirty and I don’t want it. Come and get it.] Haruka replied after a few minutes.

Rin sighed, knowing full well that Haruka would end up throwing his shirt somewhere if he doesn’t go there now. [Fine.] He replied, sighing.

Mikoshiba grinned at him. “What did I say?”

“Shut up.”


	48. rin's secret stash of haruka notes

“Everyone has their secret little box below their bed, right?” Nagisa asked, almost too happily as he watched Rin drag the books from his desk to the bed. “So, what does Rin-chan hide under his bed?”

Rin rolled his eyes and glanced at him with a blank look. “Seriously? You’re asking me? I live in a dorm. Nitori uses the space under my bed for his porn.”

“Ooooh.” Nagisa nodded with understanding (because Rei properly explained to him months ago the whole under-the-bed-secrets thing; it was very educational). “Where do you hide your important things, then?”

Narrowing his eyes, Rin looked away, gaze falling on a drawer on his desk before looking back at Nagisa. “I don’t have a secret box.”

“Heh.” Nagisa grinned and then innocently asked, “Can you please get me some juice? I’m thirsty, Rinrin.”

“Yeah, sure.” Rin replied, not even caring about the nickname and just wanting to get away from Nagisa’s All-Knowing-Look.

Once he was gone, Nagisa smiled widely and walked over to the drawer, carefully rummaging through the neatly piled folders. At the very bottom was a shoe box covered in magazine pages and plastic cover. giggling to himself, he took it out and opened it.

Inside were pictures from five years ago, and surprisingly, also from the recent joint practice sessions. Underneath were some notes, torn pages of notebooks containing simple notes like  **[Are you going jogging today?]** or **[Will you join the relay now?]** or **[HOW ABOUT NOW???]**. All the notes had lengthy questions and one-word replies. At the very bottom of the pile was a beautiful artistic doodle of a cherry blossom tree besides a pool with a simple:

**[You’re really going?]**

**[Yeah. You’d miss me, won’t you? :D]**

**[Yeah]**

The rest of the bottom were filled with pink hearts.

 _Ohgod Rinrin is such a sap._  Nagisa shook his head fondly and placed the things back as neatly as he can. “Ever the romantic.”


	49. makorin help line au wip

_“I didn’t really call for anything.” Rin starts, because he didn’t. Nitori just placed the number of the help line on his desk. Nitori just assumed he needed the help. Rin’s just humoring the guy. “Do you get a lot of calls this time?”_

_“Sometimes.” The person replies, amusement clear in his voice. “But we have enough staff to talk. Don’t you have anything you want to talk about?”_

_He can’t talk about his dad, how next week is the anniversary of his death. He can’t talk about how much of a failure he feels, not being able to see his mom with medals on his neck. He can’t talk about how much of a bad brother he is, about how much Gou tries so hard to reach him but he doesn’t answer. He can’t talk about how he keeps on shutting everyone out because he doesn’t deserve any of their friendship._

_“Nothing, really.” Rin replies curtly, wondering if he should cut the line now._

 

_“Oh.” The person seems to be thinking deeply. “Then, can you tell me how you got our number?” His voice was pleasant, gentle, patient._

_“My roommate left it on my desk. He said-” Oh. That would give everything off, wouldn’t it? Then again, this guy is a stranger. It’s not like Rin really needed help. He doesn’t. He doesn’t deserve help either. “He said I should try calling. He thinks I need to talk to someone.”_

_“He’s a good friend, isn’t he?”_

_“A good friend, yeah.” Rin agrees readily, because Nitori is a good kid. He talks to Rin and tolerates how awful a human being he is. Nitori deserves a better roommate. “But pretty nosy. Unnecessarily nosy.”_

_“You don’t think you need help?” The person sounds curious, and also sounds like he was in awe of this assumption._

_Rin wasn’t sure why but he vaguely felt like he wanted to punch someone. That tone grates on his nerves. “I don’t.” He replies, exhaling sharply and trying to think calmly. “You don’t have to use that stupid judgmental tone. You don’t even know me.”_

_A soft chuckle rang from the other line. “I’m not judging you.” He says sincerely. “I just think everyone needs help almost all the time. I think I need help most of the time, anyway. Nothing’s wrong with that.”_

_“I’m not listening to your problems, if that’s where this is going.” Rin says narrowing his eyes at the wall in front of him. “You’re the help-line guy. You’re not supposed to share your own issues.”_

_A louder laugh this time. “I wasn’t going to!” His voice was filled with amusement and laughter. “I’m just saying you won’t be weak just because you need help.”_

_Rin rolls his eyes and raises an eyebrow at that. “Sounds like an over-used speech to me.” He mutters._

_“You really don’t have anything else to talk about? We could talk about your roommate if you want. Tell me about him.” He offers._

_“That is seriously creepy, dude.” Rin laughs a bit, a smile finally appearing on his face. Not the fake one either; a real one, the first in a while. “I’d just talk about how annoying he’s been lately and that’s probably like backstabbing. Sounds awful.” Another laugh. “Tempting, though.”_

_“…Your laugh sounds nice.” The person sounds surprised, though amazement was also clear. Pleasantly surprised. “Do you laugh a lot?”_

_Rin blinks, mind whirring with memories. “Nah. I’m not really a laughing-type.” A pause and then, “Your laugh probably sounds nicer than mine. Well, it does, actually. You’re probably a laughing-type of guy.”_

_The person laughs again and Rin thinks it’s a really nice sound after all. “Laughing-type guy? I don’t think there’s a type. Everyone should laugh more.”_

_“Ohgod,” Rin groaned. “You’re like a fucking unicorn spreading rainbows and sunshine as you talk. Are you always this much of an optimist?”_

_“Language, sir.” The person sounds stern, like a father who doesn’t want to hear his children swearing. And then, with a softer tone, he adds, “I’m not an optimist. I just think laughing really helps.”_

_“Laughing without reason makes you sound crazy.” Rin reasons, feeling oddly confrontational about it._

_“Better crazy than lonely.” There’s a quietness in his tone, something telling Rin that this guy knows exactly what he’s talking about._

_“Hmmm…” Rin hums for a few seconds before deciding that he’s had enough of that. He looks at his clock and realizes that it’s about time he sleeps. “So. Uh. This was okay. I guess. Thanks? I should probably free your line for those in need.”_

_“We’re always open for everyone. And you’re welcome.” The person really had a nice gentle voice, like a soft warm blanket. “Just call again when you need someone to talk to.”_

_“Yeah, sure. Probably never gonna happen.” Rin chuckles before saying a final “Bye” and flipping his phone off._

_He lies on his bed a few minutes, a smile on his face, before he drifts off to sleep._

_That night, he doesn’t have nightmares. And when he wakes up, he leaves a thank you note on Nitori’s desk. [You’re right. I needed that. Thanks.]_

_He wonders briefly who that help-line guy was. Then, he goes off jogging and decides to forget that event._

_—_

_(2 weeks later he calls again and the guy answers. “Oh. It’s you again.” He laughs and Rin thinks that laugh would probably lull him back to a nightmare-less dream again tonight. He probably needs this more than he thinks.)_


	50. interview with rinharu.com

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rin-haruka.com is (was?) an actual site for a company that sells cherry blossom rings, which i think is rin's spirit contacting us from the anime world

**We finally managed to interview the talk of the town, the famous businessman they call “Romantic Rin”. Let’s see what he has to say about his sudden fame.**

**Rin:**  It’s surprising, really! We didn’t really know it would click with the people. It’s overwhelming, and we’re really happy for the support of everyone. We never expected for it to go this well.

**We? Can you tell us about your partner in your business?**

**Rin:**  Ah, Haru? Haruka Nanase. He’s awesome. He’s the reason why we’re this successful, I’m sure. His sketches are beautiful. I’m just really making sure his ideas get made into proper jewelries. Everything is really due to his talent.

**Oh Rin, we all know you’re a great businessman. You’ve won some awards for rin-haruka, haven’t you?**

**Rin:**  (laugh) I guess I did. It’s just weird for me, because it feels like all my luck is because of Haru, you know? So I make sure to tell everyone how amazing he is. It’s the least I can do. I  _am_ thankful for the recognition though. It makes working hard everyday worth it.

**Speaking of working hard, no one has really heard how you started the business.**

**Rin:**  This is a really embarrassing story… I’m not sure I’m even supposed to tell.

**Please do tell! We’ll keep it our secret (laugh)**

**Rin:**  Well, we had the idea during college. Me and Haruka… we were in the same college (business administration) and I was, well, as they say I’m very ‘romantic’ (laugh). I wanted to have a business related to that, like a couples-only restaurant or something similar. And then… Well, let’s just say I discovered Haru’s talent for drawing rings.

**Oooh. Now we’re curious! This mysterious Haruka who refuses to show up in public, is he as romantic as you are?**

**Rin:** Oh nope! Not at all. Well, I guess artistically, the things he makes are obviously romantic… but, it’s really hard to explain. He has…  _inspiration_ , you know? He’s the kind of idiot who doesn’t talk about it until I discover it with his drawings. He’s the quiet type who doesn’t like being bothered when he’s working.

**He’s quite the enigma still, isn’t he? Could you share with us some of the instances where you found out about his inspiration, then?**

**Rin:** …Wow, I’d probably be thrown out of our apartment if I ever share anything like that. Then again, he probably won’t read this unless I tell him so maybe I’m safe…

**Just one anecdote, please?**

**Rin:** There’s this one time. (smile) We were starting then and a lot of people loved the couple ring designs so we got more financial backing and all. But he was having a hard time thinking up more designs. Like an artist’s block? I was worried so I took him out to watch cherry blossoms while having a picnic. So…

**Cherry blossoms! Your most popular design!**

**Rin:**  (grins) Yep! That’s where it all started. He showed me… Um…

**(By that time, we noticed Rin blushing and looking away) He showed you?**

**Rin:**  He showed me the new designs. This one. (points to the one he’s wearing) It was a very… special event, for both of us. That’s why the cherry blossoms are always used for our rings. It holds special meaning and it’s a beautiful image. That’s also why I researched more into different crystals and metals that would show off Haru’s designs best.

**So you’re really working hard for Haruka, aren’t you?**

**Rin:** We-well! Of course I’m working hard to make sure his designs becomes the best kind of rings. It’s my job, after all. We want couples to have memorable rings that they’ll be able to cherish their whole lives.

**Like how you cherish your own ring given by Haruka?**

**Rin:**  E-exactly… Just like that.

**Do you have any final message for couples who wants to propose using your rings?**

**Rin:**  The most important thing about it, really, is to say what’s in your heart. The rings we make are filled with love so we hope you pour out your love to the person you’d give it to, too. We hope our rings would help you find courage to say what you really feel to the person you cherish the most.


	51. makoharurin dragon rin au

Makoto Tachibana was sure his best friend was weird. Weird as in he is not like any other people in their town. Weird as in he doesn’t talk to people other than Makoto’s family. Weird as in he looks at the sky for  _hours_ without saying anything. Weird as in he jumps off cliffs and lets the wind sweep him away until he finally spread his arms apart to use his mechanical wings. (And yes, he  _makes_  mechanical wings.)

But the Haruka Nanase brand of weird has always been the adorable kind of weird. The nice kind of weird. The protective, reassuring type of weird. Life threatening sometimes, yes. But never creepy, or scary.

Until now.

“Haru-chan…” His hand latches on to Haruka’s sleeves as his whole body shook in fear.  _This is not happening,_  he tries to convince himself, but no matter how long he stares at it (at its pointy teeth and its large scaly wings and its sharp deadly claws), it doesn’t go away. His hands are gripping Haruka’s sleeves so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. His best friend spares him a slightly-annoyed, but also slightly-fond expression, before he takes Makoto’s hand into his. He laces their hands together and even offers a supportive squeeze.

Haruka’s gaze is back to the huge, scary thing before Makoto could say anything more. He sighs, and actually  _glares_  at the monster. “Makoto, it’s  _just_  a dragon.” And that kind of tone proves how fearless he was and how boring this must be to him. It proves how much he knew this situation, almost too well that it doesn’t even surprise him in the slightest.

Yes, Makoto knew Haruka was  _weird_. But just not in an “ _I’m-acquainted-with-dragons”_  kind of weird.

—

“Rin, will you cut that out?”

Haruka has had it with show-offs who breaths fire and has giant scaly wings. He did allow Rin to show his true form to Makoto, but not this way. There’s a proper order in things. Not that Rin would know that, because he’s a creature way beyond Haruka’s sphere of comfort. (And not because he’s a dragon, either. No, it’s more than that. Rin, even in human form, or actually even  _more so_  in human form, baffles Haruka so much more than anything.)

After a few seconds more of extreme glaring from Haruka, Rin did land on the cliff with ease. Makoto jumps up and whimpers behind him; and Haruka hopes belatedly that this doesn’t give his best friend nightmares. Makoto has enough of those. He is honestly tired of answering his telephone in the middle of the night to assure him that there are no monsters under his bed.

“Sorry,” Rin says when he transformed back to human form. His hair, red-violet like the scales on his wings, flutter because of the wind. His eyes shine like the fire he breathes, but it’s not scary or threatening, just warm and soothing. He chuckles and scratches the back of his neck, obviously embarrassed. “I got nervous, and then before I knew it…”

He resists the urge to roll his eyes, simply continues glaring in quiet discontentment and disappointment. Then, he sighs and faces his best friend. “This is Matsuoka Rin. He lives in the mountains with his family.”

“And he’s a dragon…” Makoto’s eyes are still wide and scared, but his breathing is almost normal now and his shaking is now much more subdued. “ _A dragon.”_ He repeats, as always pointing the painfully obvious.

He tries very hard not to say “ _obviously”_  because Makoto is scared and despite everything, Haruka worries about him more than humanly possible. That’s why he chooses to give his attention back to the anxious-looking redhead by edge of the cliff. “Makoto,” He tries again, softly and comfortingly this time. “Rin is a kid.” He explains very patiently, which is something he isn’t good at. “He’s the same age as us. He’s harmless.”

Makoto looks at him with wide eyes, disbelief obvious in his tone when he whispers “But  _dragons_ ”

—

Rin feels like he should be offended by that, to be honest. His smile is adorable! His dad said so! “Do I look like a killer?” He asks incredulously, placing both his hands in his pockets in what he believes is a standard pose of cool aloofness. He learned that from TV.

Makoto stares at him for a few seconds before shaking his head. “But  _dragons_!” He insists stubbornly while tugging on Haruka’s hand, as if he wants to pull him back into the forest and away from Rin.

Wow,  _rude_.

Scrunching up his nose in annoyance, Rin walks closer towards the two and offers his hand. “Hi! I’m Matsuoka Rin! I may be a dragon, but I’m also a harmless human. Nice to meet you?” He shows his best smile. The winning smile that lets him have as much candy as he wants during family reunion day.

Makoto hides behind Haruka. But after a few seconds, he slowly released Haruka’s hand and stepped forward, eyeing Rin’s hand tentatively. “You’re-”

“Safe. Slightly human. Harmless.” Rin recites happily. “Shake my hand?” He moves his hand forward to make a point. “Please?”

Taking a deep breath, Makoto nods and does as told. He was still shaking but at least he was better now. “Nice to meet you, Rin-chan.” He says in a small, frightened voice.

Rin frowns and sighs. “Don’t use ’-chan’ on me”

Makoto’s eyes widens upon hearing that. He looks at Haruka and saw his eyebrow twitching just a bit. “Ah…” Then, for some reason, all tension left his body and he couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re just like Haru!”

“What did I do…?” Rin’s frown deepens as Makoto continued laughing.

Haruka shrugs. “Can we go flying now?” He sighs tiredly, looking up at the sky longingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another wip i forgot. i think haruka has mechanical wings here and sometimes he and rin would fly together. makoto ends up as rin's Rider? they're just a very good ot3


	52. avengers au

_“I’ve started going through Zen lessons to make sure my temper doesn’t flare anymore.” Rin said quietly to the group at large._

_Haruka glared at him and said “I need you to get angry right now.” He huffed and picked on his arrows. “We need the Hulk.”_

_Gou nodded. “We need you, brother. I know you hate using it, but-”_

_“If you don’t, Gou-chan would have to use her sex appeal again!” Nagisa exclaimed loudly, grinning at Rin from the other side of the room. (He knew well enough now not to be near Rin when he’s teasing, since he got thrown out of the plane once before. It was a mess. Rei had to help him because Rin sat on Mjolnir like the raging asshole he is when transformed.)_

_Rin’s eyebrow twitched. “What?!” He growled._

_Makoto offered a gentle smile, but still added a “It’s Gou-chan’s job to get information, after all.”_

_“She doesn’t have to-” Rin was shaking a bit in anger now. But it’s not quite enough just yet._

_Rei’s eyes widened for just a fraction as he realized what the two were doing. He has to help out, then. For science. “Gou-chan would wear skimpy clothing to get information on the subject. And then Agent Mikoshiba would take pictures-”_

_“NO” Rin angrily stomped forward, his whole form changing. “She doesn’t have to!!!”_

_“Aaand now we have a Hulk.” Nagisa happily sing-sang as he walked behind the protective shield that was Gou and Haruka. (They were people who could go against Hulk, because they would acrobat the hell around Rin and somehow always end up on his shoulders. Those three are scary as a team…)_

_Haruka just rolled his eyes and took his bow from the table. “Let’s go.”_

_Everyone nodded and followed after him. Maybe if they finish this up early, they could go out and eat shawarma or something. Killing aliens is pretty exhausting, after all._


	53. rin undercovers in a gay bar where nagisa works

_Rin really just wanted to get this over and done with. It’s enough that he was bullied into taking this undercover job. (Just because he’s new, doesn’t mean they can do that!!! Except they can. Damn it.) He really doesn’t need to be:_

_a.) found out by his sister, who would probably hear from her gay friends that his strict older brother is in a fucking gay bar_

_b.) found out by Haru or Mako who are definitely around this vicinity (they don’t come here but who knows what will happen!!!)_

_c.) picked up by a stranger (he’s awkward and he’s not even out of the fucking closet DON’T PRESSURE HIM)_

_If any of those happens, he’ll be so embarrassed, he’ll probably die. On the spot. Drop dead. Or accidentally shoot himself on the face. With his gun. And then die. Horribly. In front of all these strangers._

_He is not designed for this job._

_“Want a drink?” The bartender smiles brightly at him, placing a bottle of beer in front of him. “It’s on the house. You look stressed!” He laughs, that kind that makes you want to join in. “Calm down! No one here bites!” He grins evilly then, looking at the other people sitting on the bar. “Not if you don’t want them to, anyway.” A couple of people across him laughs and high-fives the bartender._

_He gulps. “Uh, I’m-” How did the police force even think he is capable of handling this?_

_“I’m fine. Just a bit nervous. It’s my first time.” Mikoshiba dictates from his earpiece._

_Thank god for Mikoshiba. “I’m fine. Just a bit nervous.” Rin smiles as he repeats the words. “It’s my first time here. I’ve been… well, I’m not really into the party scene.” The serial killer has been known to target newbies. First-timers who didn’t know much. People who kept close to the bar._

_“Don’t be nervous!” He grins. “Drink up and let me introduce to you to my friends.”_

_(an hour later, Rin would be inside the bar, talking about alcohol content and where the cocktail mix names come from like the big nerd he is)_

_(thirty minutes after that, Nagisa does body shots on Rin)_

_(“STOP DRINKING YOU’RE ON THE JOB!!!” Mikoshiba keeps shouting at him and it’s distracting him from staring at Nagisa’s bright pretty eyes so he shuts it down)_

_(another hour later, someone with blonde hair is dragging Rin to the back alley and Rin is confused, because Nagisa was just at the bar when he looked back and WHO THE HELL IS THIS GUY.)_

_(long story short, Nitori is a serial killer who kills anyone who hits on Nagisa. I don’t know why, dude. It’s just how the story goes. Rin fights back because he’s amazing even when drunk, and he almost gets slashed by Nitori but then Nagisa throws a bottle at Nitori’s head and they end up dragging him back to Mikoshiba, who screamed at Rin but let it all pass because_ _results are all that matter)_

_(also they make out and live happily ever after.)_

_(the end.)_

_(also Rin comes out of the closet with everyone's support)_


	54. nagisa to gou: did u know ur brother and haru are boning

_“Hey, Haru…” Rin sat down beside Gou and looked at Haru who was just about to get out of the pool. He was visiting Gou, he said. Hah. As if Gou doesn’t see how often he visits and end up going over to Haru’s. Who is he kidding, really? “I’m going over today, right?”_

_Haruka stopped by the side of the pool and nodded. “You’re going to cook mackerel.” He flatly replied._

_“ **Elegantly.** ” Rin replied with a huff. “I will cook something better than you could ever cook.”_

_“Yeah, sure.” Haruka rolled his eyes and went back to dive. He totally smiled though. Gou saw that tiny smile! Ugh. Why can’t they just-_

 

_Rin stood up and stretched his arms upward. “I’m just gonna buy some drinks. You want one?” He asked. “I could buy you a popsicle, if you want. It’s getting hotter.”_

_That is so sweet. Gou is so thankful he’s so much better after months of hanging around the others. “Strawberry, please?” She said with a pleading smile._

_He laughed a bit and nodded. “Sure. Tell Haru not to go home without me.”_

_As soon as he left, Nagisa sat down beside her and grinned while watching Haruka. “Do you think ‘cooking mackerel’ is code for something?” He asked mischievously._

_“What are you talking about?” She giggled. “Onii-chan just knows a lot of cooking techniques from being alone in Australia.”_

_“Is that all he learned, though?” He asked while wiggling his eyebrows._

_“Stop contaminating her mind, Nagisa.” Rei went over to them and dragged Nagisa away. “I really shouldn’t have let you read those books.”_

_“I read them to learn, Rei-chan! For science!”_

_—_

_One of the few times Rin went home, Gou couldn’t help but ask, “So, what do you usually do when you’re at Haruka-senpai’s?” Because Rin went over once every week and it’s making Gou really curious. Haruka doesn’t have a cable TV or games, does he? And Haruka doesn’t strike her as a talkative guy or a gaming guy, either. He’s just… Haruka-senpai. Someone who likes water too much._

_“Lately, we’ve been cooking mackerel lots of times.” He answered absentmindedly while reading his book._

_Nagisa’s words echoed inside her mind. Damn it. She wants that memory erased from her head! “Oh.” She should stop thinking about Nagisa’s hints. Stop. Thinking. About. It. “That’s… interesting.” STOP. “You’re doing it lots of times, huh. Haruka-senpai lets you teach him everything?”_

_Rin looks up and his eyebrows furrowed for a second. “Nah,” He shook his head before going back to reading. “He teaches me a lot of techniques too. That guy’s unexpectedly experienced. The positions-”_

_“I’m!” She interrupted. “I’m going to buy something. Do you have anything you want me to buy?”_

_He looked at her weirdly. “Uh… No? I’m fine.”_

_—_

_[ **To: Nagisa**_

**_From: Gou_ **

_NAGISA THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT_

_I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT]_

_[ **To: Gou**_

_**From: Nagisa** _

_THEY ARE DOING THE DO_

_THERE AREN’T THAT MANY MACKEREL RECIPES]_

_—_

_“You’re going to Haruka-senpai’s place again?”_

_“Yeah. There’s this really special recipe I want to try.”_

_“Mackerel… again?”_

_“Of course. That guy doesn’t eat anything else.”_

_—_

_“Nagisa. It’s been three months.” She whispered urgently as they watched Rin and Haruka race on the pool. “Three months of mackerel recipes.”_

_“Or is it really…?” Nagisa laughed as Gou poked him on the side. “I’m just saying!” He continued laughing and swatting her hand away. “Rin-chan’s been going over more often. I saw Haru-chan accidentally wear his t-shirt once.”_

_Gou nodded. “I saw Onii-chan’s drawer. There’s about four fish-themed shirts there now.”_

_“They’re exchanging clothes, Gou-chan!” He grinned triumphantly. “Do you actually do that because you’re cooking?”_

_“…maybe the oil spills on their clothes…?” She asked weakly. Nagisa is such a bad influence sometimes. And this is all Rei’s fault for teaching Nagisa The Knowledge. Rei should treat her to lunch tomorrow. Definitely._

_—_

_“Onii-chan,” It has been four months now. This is getting ridiculous. “What are you **really** doing at Haruka-senpai’s?”_

_“Cooking mackerel.” He replied as always._

_“How-” She sighed. Okay, if that’s all he has to say, then fine! “Suuure.” She nodded. “You’re 'cooking mackerel’.” That’s totally a code._

_—_

_“Gou’s acting a bit weird.” Rin said worriedly while looking over their notes. They have a shared notebook now. A recipe notebook filled with notes and discoveries. It’s even full of drawings! Rin’s not sure when Haruka does the illustrations but they’re really good. “She’s been making quotation marks when I say 'cooking mackerel’.”_

_Haruka glanced at him for a second before going back to cutting up the parsley. They’re doing something from the gourmet book Rin bought last week. It looks difficult but they both do love a challenge. “Nagisa does too.” He noted, eyebrows creasing just a bit._

_“Huh.” Rin frowned. “That’s weird.” He looked at Haru then. His eyes widened. “Too small!” He exclaimed. “It has to be 3cm, Haru!”_

_Haruka scowled at him. “If you want to be so uptight, you do it.”_

_“But I’m mixing the sauce.” Rin retorted, making a show of mixing the pot._

_“Then don’t interrupt me.” Haruka replied, continuing with his tasks. “I know what I’m doing.”_

_And he probably really does. Haruka never quite follows the recipe, but he makes things taste so much better than Rin imagined. “Yeah, sure.”_

_“You have some sauce on your shirt again.” He added, looking up just enough to smirk at Rin._

_“Ugh,” Rin groaned. “Let me borrow another shirt. Mom would kill me if I take this one home.”_


	55. rinharu met through online rpg

Haruka didn’t really want to join in. It was a new game with not much players and it seemed like lots of work, from making an avatar to ‘training for your chosen role’.  _Aquarius_  wasn’t really a game he would normally be interested in. (Arguably, he doesn’t really ever have a game he is interested in but that’s beside the point.)

Nagisa was persistent though and this was the only way to make him shut up. So he types in ‘Penguin_Prince’ on the ‘who recommended this game to you?’ and then fills up the form.

[Welcome, Water_Knight!]

He really hopes he won’t regret this.

—-

It’s not that he got addicted to it. He didn’t. He totally did  _not_  despite whatever Nagisa says. And no matter what Makoto says, he won’t start ‘going out more’ just because they don’t spend as much time in it as he does. (They do play, but only after they finish their homework and before bedtimes. Haruka does his homework fast, and he doesn’t have a strict bedtime.)

Yeah, he spends the whole weekend on it, so what? He doesn’t have anything better to do anyway.

—-

[Sakura_Healer sent you a message]

And there she goes again. Sakura_Healer, or Rin as she introduced herself later on, was once saved by Haruka from a bunch of orcs. He didn’t really plan on it, either. He just wasn’t used to the controls yet, so he ended up giving her life points and forming a temporary alliance to kill the orc bandits. It was completely ridiculous how thankful she was, and how she insisted on giving him something back.

[Hey! I found this info that there’s a treasure chest in the Komodo Cave. Want to go on a quest together?]

He frowned. No, he does not want to go on a quest. He wants to be left alone to play his own game. [I only play solo] He replied immediately, in the hopes that maybe she’ll leave with that.

Clearly, he didn’t quite understand her just yet, because just a few seconds later, she replied with [Too bad, you can’t go there without a Healer. You’ll lose.]

He narrowed his eyes. [Watch me.]

And so he went on a solo quest to the Komodo cave, fully equipped with healing potions and weapons. He slayed orcs after orcs, but then the bigger monsters arrived. A dragon 5 times his size obstructed the door. His healing potions were all gone. His HP was down to a measly amount. He was going down.

—-

[Sakura_Healer gave you 5 Life Gems!]

That was the first message he got after the failure at the cave. He scowled at the screen in irritation. Why isn’t there a ‘reject’ option? He doesn’t need her pity.

[I hate to say ‘I told you so’ but I told you so] was the second message.

[I don’t need your gems] He typed it out with as much force on the keyboard as he can, as if that could somehow reach her. He sighed, closing his eyes to calm himself down. [You waited for me here.] It wasn’t a question, obviously. She specifically waited for him to fail and prove how right she was. What an annoying person.

It took a full minute for a reply to come. And, even then, it was obviously a lie. [I didn’t. I just checked here coincidentally.] Then, after a few seconds: [I need to go on another quest. See ya.]

—-

Nagisa grinned at him from behind his laptop. “She’s courting you.” He insisted happily, making poking motions in the air as he continued teasing Haru. “She gave you  _gold and life gems_.” He giggled, enjoying Haruka’s annoyed expression. “She’s trying to buy your affections.”

“No.” He said with finality, clicking the sign-in button without looking up.

“But Haru-chan! She waited for you a lot and constantly helps our quest even when we don’t ask her! And even when you don’t join her ever, she insists that you’ll be a good quest leader!” Nagisa was practically bouncing on his seat as he explained his theory. “She’s  _in love_ with you!”

"Nagisa, you’re wrong.” He sighed as he saw another new message. [Sakura_Healer gave you 500 gold] He narrowed his eyes at the screen, wondering why the hell anyone would do this repeatedly. He does need the money to buy a specific power-up, but he never asked her to help.

“Oh~” Nagisa peeked at the screen and grinned triumphantly. “What did I say?”

 _I told you so._  Now, Haruka’s even remembering her words. He’s almost regretting signing up for this.

And it’s all Nagisa’s fault.

—-

“Rin-chan is home-schooled. He lives in Sano with his sister and mother.” Makoto supplied helpfully as the three of them sat around Haruka’s low table. They all had their laptops in front of them, ready for some Orc-killing action. “She’s the same age as us.”

“Oh!” Nagisa smiled brightly. “Same age, Haru-chan!”

Haruka frowned. “No.”

“I haven’t asked anything.” Nagisa said innocently.

“The answer will always be no.” He deadpanned as he went back to opening his browser.

Nagisa shared a playful smile with Makoto then. “Why don’t we invite her to join our quest?”

“I don’t do group quests.” Haruka replied immediately. He just wants to play on his own, doing whatever he could do alone. Nothing is wrong with that. They grew quiet upon hearing that, and they were lulled into comfortable silence as they all logged-in.

Haruka was wrong to think that was the end of the discussion though. There was another message from Sakura_Healer.

[You really don’t want to join a quest with me? WHY]

He groaned and looked at Nagisa at his side. “Did you have to tell her?”

Nagisa just grinned and shrugged. “We’re friends!”

Haruka sighed and refused to reply to the message. Maybe if he ignores it forever, Rin would stop talking to him.

—-

[5 new messages from Sakura_Healer]

[WHY]

[WHY]

[WHY]

[HARUKA ANSWER ME]

[COME ON. YOU’LL BE THE BEST QUEST LEADER.]

—-

“Make it stop.” Haruka told Makoto as soon as he stepped inside his best friend’s room. “She’s troublesome.”

Makoto looked at him with an amused expression. “Why don’t you just go on that quest with her?”

“I only play solo.” He grumbled, sitting on the bed comfortably.

“Find another game to play?” Makoto suggested then. There were so many games out there, and Haruka has always been the type to leave something if it’s weighing him down or annoying him.

An unusual expression passed on his face, something Makoto doesn’t quite understand. “No.” He shook his head slowly. “…no.” He repeated, with voice full of determination.

It was the first time Makoto heard him sound like that.

—-

[You’re annoying.]

[We’ve established that. Join the quest with me?]

[No.]

[Why are you such a sourpuss? Mako and Nagisa are both nice.]

[Ask them to join you, then.]

[I already did! But I need you for Quest Leader!]

[Why don’t you take that job]

[…I’m a  _healer_. Haruka, you don’t know about the other roles, do you?]

Haruka closed the message and went to the mystical forest to harvest some life gems.  _Forget her_.

—-

Makoto smiled brightly at Haruka, watching as he frowned deeply and clicked on the [Make Quest Group] button. Nagisa had the same expression. They were both just amused and happy that Haruka actually agreed to lead the quest. He’s never been the type to work with other intentionally, but now he’s the one making the group!

“Do you know what Rin-chan did?” Nagisa whispered, careful not to be heard.

Shrugging, Makoto chuckled. “I’m not sure. But she got through.”

“That’s amazing~” Nagisa laughed and moved over to Haruka’s side. “Is Rin-chan online?”

“Yeah.” Haruka muttered, angling the laptop to let Nagisa peek at the screen. “Has been online since 12 hours ago.” He added, eyebrows furrowing as he placed the laptop back to its original position.

“Are you worried?” Makoto asked with a smile.

“No.”

—-

[Let’s choose the hardest quest! The most challenging!]

[Tomorrow. It’s late.]

[But! You’re having a sleepover at Makoto’s, right? Don’t be such a killjoy. Stay up late!]

[Sleep, Rin.]

[Oh. Makoto explained to me clearly :3 Thanks, I guess. You’re actually pretty nice, aren’t you?]

He logged out. (He smiled to himself, but the two were still staring at their laptops so nobody saw at all.)

—-

“It’s the day. It’s finally the day.” Nagisa excitedly bounced on Makoto’s bed, still wearing his pajamas and having bed hair. “Are we going to check if Rin-chan is online?”

Makoto yawned and nodded. “We should.” He stretched and looked over to the floor where Haruka was already opening his laptop. “Oh.” He blinked, remembering something. “I took her skype address yesterday. Maybe we could talk before going to the quest?”

Haruka glanced at him for a second before going back to his laptop. “Not needed.”

“Awww,” Nagisa pouted. “I wanted to see Rin-chan. We should do it after we win, then.”

“Yeah.” Makoto agreed. “As celebration.”

—-

It was a hard quest, as Rin promised. Haruka wasn’t even sure where Rin got the quest information and he knew both Makoto and Nagisa hasn’t been in that part of the  _Aquarius_  world either. (He vaguely understands it, given that Rin is always online no matter what the time.)

But Haruka was already level 100, and Rin had a collection of potions that gave them all full HP at all times, and Nagisa had the best archery skills ever, and Makoto could take down legions with his spells.

It was a close-call, with Makoto and Rin almost dying, but they got through it in the end.

—-

Nagisa had the biggest smile on his face as he nuzzled his forehead on Haruka’s side. “We won~ Haru-chan, that was awesome!”

“Yeah.” He agreed, a small smile forming on his lips. It has been the most exciting hour of his whole gaming experience. “It was.”

Makoto came in the door with a tray of cakes and glasses of juice. “Celebration, then?” He asked, walking over to their side.

“Let’s use Mako-chan’s skype!” Nagisa excitedly took the laptop from the bed and placed it in front of them, just beside the tray. He typed in Rin’s address and waited for him to respond to the video call.

After a few seconds, a well-built guy, with his short red hair tied on a ponytail, appeared on the screen. His eyes were wide as he stared at them. “Uh,” He blushed, shutting his mouth and just waiting for them to start.

Nagisa blinked in confusion, and was the first one to react. “Rin… chan?”

He blushed harder and nodded. “Uh,” He looked so embarrassed and confused. “Yeah. Rin.”

“You’re a boy.” Haruka stated with a blank look. Sakura_Healer had a female avatar and she always wore dresses.

“I never said I wasn’t!” He retorted, sounding more like the Rin he knew from the chat rooms. “No- no one asked me.” He added.

Makoto nodded understandingly. “Fair enough.” He smiled. “We won.” He said, easing the atmosphere.

The embarrassment was immediately thrown out the window as Rin nodded enthusiastically and smiled brightly. (The three were in awe at that smile, but no one talked about it until much, much later.) “We did! I knew Haru could do it.” He leaned forward with wide, glee-filled eyes. “I’ve always thought this quest would work if it’s our team.”

Haruka sighed. “You almost died.”

“Oh, so you’re really a sourpuss in real life.” Rin noted instead of replying to Haruka’s statement.

“And you’re a boy.” Haruka grumbled.

Nagisa laughed out loud at that, moving closer to be seen by the camera. “Forgive Haru-chan. He really thought you were a girl. He doesn’t talk to girls much.” He laughed some more. “Don’t mind him.”

Rin shrugged it off easily, instead grinning and saying “You look so much smaller than I imagined.” He chuckled and added, “You’re badass, man. You were a monster out there.”

Grinning back proudly, Nagisa showed a thumbs up. “Right?”

“And Haruka’s…” The tip of Rin’s ears turned pink as he stared into the screen. “Haruka’s not that different from what I imagined. You look like your avatar.”

Haruka quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. “You look similar to your avatar too.” He responded.

Rin nodded. “Sakura looks like my sister.” He explained. “Healers are just easier to trust when they look like girls. It’s been shown in studies that Healers that are women have higher chances of being in-” He ducked his head down, as if embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I- I make games. Playing this is for research.”

“You’re a…” Haruka blinked. “Programmer?”

“Yeah.” Rin nodded. “Just an aspiring one. My mom let me focus on what I want to be, so-”

“Wow!” Nagisa exclaimed at the same time Makoto said “That’s amazing!” Haruka stared in disbelief at the screen. This was so much more than he ever imagined. Who knew that annoying healer could actually be this different?

“It’s not, really.” Rin murmured. “I’m still just studying. It’s really fun, though.” He smiled at them again. “I’m actually planning to go to the Iwatobi public library soon. Do you want to meet up?”

“Sure!” Nagisa replied excitedly. “I’ll bring Haru-chan for sure. I promise.”

Before Rin could reply, a sound could be heard from the door at his back. “Onii-chan! Come on! We’re having lunch outside!” He groaned and frowned before shouting “Yeah, just a sec!” back. He turned to the laptop and bowed a bit. “I’ll just tell you guys when I’ll visit there.”

—-

“You’re interested, aren’t you?” Rin finally found the time to go to the Iwatobi library. And as promised, Nagisa, Makoto and Haruka met up with him. They were now sitting on a booth in the cafe outside the library. “Right, Haru?”

Haruka glanced at him but did not reply immediately. “…What?”

Nagisa grinned mischievously. “Interested in Rin-chan?” He asked. Makoto laughed as well while Rin blushed and shook his head.

“No!” Rin interfered. “I mean, Haru’s interested in making games too.”

“…” Haruka evaded their eyes, choosing to stare at his plate of pancakes. He really was fascinated at the idea of making games. And he’s always been good at making graphics since he was young. The main appeal of  _Aquarius_  to him was how flawless the animation was. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

Rin frowned and scooted closer. “You have to make sure!” He insisted. “If you’re interested in it, go for it. Jump into it and learn what you should.”

Makoto nodded and smiled at him gently. “You’ve always liked designing characters, right?”

“I saw your notebook doodles!” Nagisa added. “They’re really good.”

“Character design, huh…” Rin mused, watching Haruka.

“I’ll think about it.”

—- EPILOGUE OR SOMETHING IDK —

5 years later, Haruka sits beside Rin on the low table of his living room, both staring at their laptop screen. “Nagisa’s story is way too interesting.” Rin murmured, sighing. “I feel so inadequate.”

“There’s no malfunctions.” Haruka said plainly. After years of working together and being friends though, Rin knew that was his way of saying ‘you’re doing well’ or ‘you’ve done you’re best’. “Finish the code, already.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Rin chuckled, typing quickly. “You’ve done well, too. The sponsors loves the design.”

“Hmm…” Haruka just hummed quietly, also busy with his own tasks. “The main character looks like Sakura_Healer.” He absentmindedly said.

Rin blushed a bit, remembering the first time they met. “Nah, yours is way better.” He grinned, bumping his shoulder with Haruka’s. “We’ll definitely be better than  _Aquarius_.”

Haruka looked up just enough to reveal a soft smile on his lips. “Yeah, of course we will.”

—-

Another 3 years later, Haruka sat alone inside his room, playing the mini game Rin recently made. It was a simple find-the-objects game that was set in a haunted house modeled after Haruka’s house.

[Find the Ring] was the next task.

He looked around everywhere, smiling to himself as he recognized his room the exact same way it looks now. He looked through the drawers and saw the ring on the bottom drawer. He clicked on the diamond ring.

[Now, find the REAL ring.] The screen changed, the lighting becoming brighter and much more like how his room looks on a normal day. [Go to the drawer and enter the code.] A cheesy love song started playing and a answer box appeared.

He placed the laptop down and stood up to look at his drawer… where a red velvet box was. Inside, was the exact same ring as in the game. And on the cover’s back was the simple question: Will you marry me? Yes / No.

Haruka stared wide-eyed at it, jaw hanging open for a few seconds. He clutched it tightly and walked over to his laptop again, sitting down and placing the box on the side.

Hands shaking, he clicked on the answer box and inputted three letters.

Y

E

S


	56. haru's dog nagi keeps going to rin's cat rei-chan

This day is officially the worst day of Matsuoka Rin’s life. His elementary students were overly hyperactive today and a particularly noisy group ended up in the clinic after they pushed each other during PE class. Amakata-sensei called him into the office and quoted a whole passage from an old book he didn’t care about, as a way of punishing him for not handling the chaos better.  _Exactly_   _after that_ , he found out Mikoshiba actually got Gou’s number somehow and is planning to ask her out on a date.

To top it all off, that snobby painter by the side of the beach glared at him the whole time he was jogging home. (What an asshole.)

All he wanted to do when he got home was to sit in front of his TV and drown in his misery. Watch his tape of the Olympics, maybe. Drink some beer.

But all plans were thrown out the window the moment he opened the door to his and Gou’s shared apartment. Rei-chan, their dark purple cat, was lying on his usual basket by the side of the door. And jumping around him was a hyperactive light brown chihuahua.

“What the actual-” Rin stared at it and watched as it turned its attention on him. The dog immediately barked happily, as if he lived here and was not trespassing. “Gou…” He growled.

Worst. Day. Ever.

 

—

“It’s really not me!” Gou said from the other line. “I wouldn’t bring a dog home, of course! We have a cat and I know you don’t like any more pets.” She hurriedly explained, shouting a bit to be heard from the sound of barking and numerous other animal sounds at the background. “I told Dr. Tachibana that I can’t bring home any more, okay? I promised you.”

Rin sighed and stared at the dog. The dog stared right back. “Fine.” He replied after a while. “You going home late again?” He asked worriedly.

“Yeah, there was an operation for a dog earlier. I’m keeping watch with the Doctor.” She sounded tired, and it only made him worry more.

“Don’t overwork yourself. Tell Makoto he’s in trouble if he ever lets you get sick.” He said, tone serious but with an edge of playfulness too. Then, after a beat, he added, “And don’t reply to strangers, okay? Whoever calls or texts you that you don’t know-”

She laughed. “I’m not a kid anymore, nii-chan.”

“Shut up.” He retorted. “You’re my  _baby_ sister.”

That only made her laugh some more. She was about to say something, when the Makoto’s voice called her from the other room. “Ah, yeah. Gotta go. Love you.”

“Yeah. Keep safe, Gou.”

—

Rin stared at the small dog. “Now, how do I-”

Before he could decide on what to do with it, the dog barked loudly at Rei and gently knocked his head on the cat’s side. Rei, ever so graceful, looked up and then fell from his basket.  _Graceful_. Hah. The cat yawned and stretched as if it didn’t just fall a second ago. Then, he walked past Rin and out of the apartment through the cat flap. The dog barked happily, his tails swinging around, as he followed the cat.

“What the hell.” Rin groaned and followed.

—

Rei was an abandoned cat with weirdly colored fur that was sent to Makoto’s animal clinic when a kid accidentally ran over it with his bike. The cat and the boy weren’t injured, but Makoto took the cat into custody to find an owner for him.

After a while though, they realized no one would take him in because of the unusual fur. Rei was also not cute. At all. The way he moved was clumsy, and then he got up and looked kind-of smug for a cat. He never followed after shiny lights and instead looked at Makoto as if the doctor was being an idiot. If he had a voice, his most used phrase would probably be “ _Seriously_?” with a bored expression. It was ridiculous.  
  
Gou loved him immediately. And so, Rin had no choice. They had to take him in.

(What followed was painful weeks where Rin tried his hardest to have Rei as a pet. And then another few weeks of realization that Rei was probably the master and he thinks Rin was his pet. He literally only snuggles to Rin’s side when he wants food. Evil cat.)

—

It took him about 5 minutes to realize where they were going. This was his usual route while jogging. He frowned. “Uh, are you walking your dog, Rei?” He asked out loud, because clearly his demon cat understood human language.

To prove him right, the cat stopped and looked at him with his default “ _seriously?”_  look. It was intimidating, even from a cat.

“Okay, you’re walking  _me_?” Rin asked, not even caring anymore if he looks stupid talking to a cat.

Rei continued walking. He probably thought that question had an obvious answer. Everyone in Rin’s life is an asshole (except the Animal Clinic people).

—

For the next 10 minutes, Rin followed and watched the dog run in circles around Rei. God, he hopes that dog doesn’t get attached. Rin doesn’t need a dog. Especially not a hyperactive chihuahua. Then again, he’s cute and most likely very cuddly. His fur looks more fluffy than Rei’s.

Rin should totally leave Rei here and adopt this dog. At least, that might make him feel better.

Before he could decide on where to leave Rei for good, Rei changed course and walked down the stairs leading to the beach. Upon seeing the beach, the dog got more excited and ended up running faster and barking louder. The two pets stopped in front of the easel situated a few feet from the beach. The dog faced it and kept barking, even though the painter was obviously not there right now.

Though, the easel was still there. So maybe…

“Nagisa,” The painter was apparently just taking some things from wherever he stores his things. He jogged to his dog and crouched down, a small smile appearing on his face. “Where did you go this time?”

Ah, so that dog is Nagisa. And he’s a frequent traveler? Well. Okay. Job done, then. This is not Rei’s fault, apparently. So, it’s not Rin’s fault either.

Rin waited for Rei to come back to him, but he didn’t show any signs of wanting to walk back. Insolent cat.

“Rei,” The painter rubbed a hand on Rei’s head. He rubbed a hand on Rei’s head! Rei actually let a human other than Gou pet him! That is so unfair. Rin wants refund for all the love he gave the cat. “Did Nagisa follow you again?”

Rin sighed and walked over to them, stopping a meter away from them. “Uh, hey.” He greeted. The painter was someone he saw everyday when he jogged during the mornings, and sometimes during the afternoon when he goes home early. Despite how cold he is, Rin didn’t really have any cold feelings for the guy. His paintings were really pretty, after all. It was a nice thing to watch everyday.

The painter looked up in surprise, before going back to glaring. Wow, what the hell did Rin ever do to him? “Yes?” He asked, voice strained.

“That’s kind-of my cat, Rei?” Rin motioned towards the stupid cat who was now rubbing his head on the guy’s open palm. God, that cat is totally being sent back to the animal clinic. Whatever. He doesn’t deserve Rin’s love at all. He could stay with the painter guy if he likes.

“Oh,” His eyes softened when he glanced back to the cat. “Oh. Okay.” He nodded, picking Rei up easily and handing him over. “Here.”

Rin frowned. “That’s it?” He asked quietly, disappointed. “I-” He glanced at his cat, then at the dog on the ground. “Does Rei come to you a lot? Because, to be honest, I’m surprised he had the dog with him  _in my house_.”

“ _The dog_  is Nagisa.” The painter explained flatly. “Did he do any damage? I’ll pay-”

“Nah, I just-” He sighed, annoyance rising up again. Why is this day such a bad day? “I just brought your dog back. No damage. I don’t need anything, except maybe, I don’t know, keep your damn dog on a leash?”

The guy’s glare became much more cold, if that was even possible. “He walked back on his own.”

“Yeah, except he followed my cat.” Rin retorted. He does not deserve any of this, okay? He just wants to rest at home right now!

“…” The painter seemed torn between punching him on the face or walking out. His eyes seems really angry but his face is kind-of… closed off, in a way. Blank? This close though, Rin was sure his eyes meant he wanted to hit Rin at least once. What did he ever do to this guy, seriously? “I’m sorry.”

Okay, not what he expected at all. Maybe Rin was bad at reading people. (To be fair, he’s had a bad day.) “Oh, uh,” His eyebrows furrowed. “How long has he been following my cat around?”

“Two or so weeks.” He shrugged.

Rin took a deep breath and glared at his stupid cat. “Two weeks and I didn’t even notice.” Another sigh. “What’s your name, by the way?”

For a moment, he looked panicked. Okay, this guy really probably hates Rin. “I’m Nanase Haruka.” He said, stretching his hands forward again to remind Rin to get his cat away. He kept his sight on Rei as he added, “You’re Matsuoka Rin.”

“Wh-” Rin blinked. “Uh,” He took Rei despite the cat’s obvious hatred of him. There is no time for his attitude right now. “How do you know my name?”

“Tachibana Makoto. I live beside him.” He simply said, crouching down again as he stroked the head of his dog. He didn’t look up again, which seemed to be the end of it.

Not even a thank you. What an asshole. Ugh. Definitely his worst day ever.

—

Except thinking that was maybe tempting fate.

Because just three days later, on a  _Monday_  (worst day of the week), Rin’s student got poked by a pencil on the hand and somehow it  _bled._  How did that even happen. Children today!!! He got another scolding and now he feels like the worst teacher to ever walk this earth. He’s new! Why does it feel like all the rowdy students are in his class?

He went home annoyed and honest to god hoping for some decent warm dinner and a nice bath.

So, of course, that was not how it worked.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Rin glared at Rei and Nagisa who were staring up at him with wagging tails. “No.” He sternly said. “I am not going to walk with you. I am not your pet.”

Gou came out from the kitchen, a huge smile on her face. “What happened?”

“Did you see this dog?” Rin gritted his teeth. “Trespassing.”

“But that’s Haruka-san’s dog.” Gou simply answered, smiling fondly at the two pets. “He’s just visiting Rei-chan. They used to be friends in the animal clinic.”

Rin’s eyebrows furrowed. “Oh god,” He groaned. “You knew. Of course, you did. You let Rei and Nagisa play- Huh. Wow. Okay. Fair enough.” He crossed his arms and stared at his sister. “Why not just give Rei to this Haruka? They like each other. He lives beside Makoto’s house so you can visit. Problems solved.”

Gou frowned disapprovingly at him. Nagisa barked harshly as if he understood Rin’s tone. And Rei… Rei actually scratched at his foot. What.

“Fine. Rei likes you. That’s cool. Just don’t expect me to walk-”

But no one was listening to him, because Nagisa chose that moment to bite on his pants and pull at him towards the door. Pushy little dog.

“What!”

Gou just shook her head and laughed. “Follow them. You didn’t jog earlier right? You might need it to relax.” Of course she knew that. She could read him like the back of her hand.

—

“Oh.” This time, Haruka was painting when they ended up there. “Matsuoka.”

“Just call me Rin.” He replied immediately, a gut reaction mostly from hating hearing his surname outside of class. “Rin’s fine.” He said again. “I- Uh, your dog bit my pants.” Hah. Nice opening line. Haruka would probably reward his dog, given how he hates him.

“Nagisa,” But, lo and behold, he was actually angry. “I told you not to bite things that are not yours. Food poisoning.”

Okay, he hates Rin. Definitely. “Why do you hate me?”

“Huh?”

“Oh.” Shit. He said that out loud. Backtrack. “I- I didn’t mean to say it out loud.” Nice. Rin is so smooth. This is why he’s never been on a proper date. Not that he wants to date this painter. He hasn’t ever thought of that ever, of course. Never. “But you seem to really not like me, so.” At least it was out in the open now and Rin might get some answers.

Haruka looked at him with wide eyes. “But…” His eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t hate you.” He answered slowly.

“Uh, yes you do.” Rin argued, staring right back at him. “You glare at me daily.”

“I don’t-” He blinked. “I don’t glare at you.” He looked down at the two pets by Rin’s side, both of which were sitting quietly without a sound, like their very own audience. “I don’t.” He repeated, much more softly.

That… is weird. Rin has been living the past year with a strong belief that Mr. Cute-Painter-By-The-Beach hated him with a burning passion for some reason. He’s so sure about the glaring. “You… Just last Friday! You were glaring at me while I was walking home.”

“I wasn’t glaring.” He repeated, looking at him again but with an annoyed expression now. “I  _wasn’t._ ”

“Then what was that!” Rin shot back. “You were  _clearly_ staring. With intensity.  _That_ is what you call glaring.”

“It wasn’t” Haruka repeated, refusing to explain.

That was totally glaring, okay.

Unless… Hah. Nope. Of course not. But- “You know, I think I need compensation for my pants.” He started, trying to sound smug but falling short. He’s just really awkward, okay. “A dinner is needed to pay it, probably.”

Haruka’s mouth opened, and then closed. His eyes were wide with surprise now. “I can’t pay you for your pants. They’re not damaged.” He said, still defiant despite his shock. “But,”

“But?” Okay, so Rin might be feeling giddy over this possibility. It is  _not_ his fault that the sun sets whenever he walks home and the sunlight touches Haruka’s face with just the right angle to make him look breathtakingly beautiful. Not. His. Fault.

“But I can cook for you. At home.” Haruka said.

Oh. Fuck. That is smooth. Rin is impressed. “Fair enough.” He nodded and crouched down to pick up his cat. Which was just an excuse to smile triumphantly with his face hidden.

“Take Nagisa with you. He’ll lead you back to the house at 5.” Haruka turned back to his easel and packed up his things, presumably so he could go home and prepare dinner. Right now.

Wow. Rin… has a date. With Mr. Painter.

This day might not be all that bad, after all.


	57. rin leaves after confessing to makoto

_“I’m sorry.” Rin looked him in the eyes with an intensity that Makoto could not understand. “I’m sorry I-” He looked away then, red tinting his cheeks as he took a deep breath. “I think I fell for you. I think I’m in love with you.”_

_And without waiting for a reply, he surged forward and placed a light kiss on Makoto’s still-pursed lips. It was barely a second. Just a chaste kiss._

_“I’m really sorry.” Rin whispered when he pulled back._

_Then, he ran away._

 

_—-_

_“He left.” Haruka told Makoto as soon as he stepped inside the room. His best friend was sitting on the couch, knees propped beneath his chin as he watched the romantic comedy movie he chose earlier. A tub of ice cream was on the table. “He just told me to say sorry.” He sighed before sitting down beside Makoto. “What did he do?”_

_Makoto blinked and looked at him with a wide-eyed expression of wonder. “He kissed me.” He looked like he couldn’t even believe that was actually real._

_Haruka quirked an eyebrow, lips forming a thin line. He wasn’t sure what Makoto needed right now. He didn’t look hurt, scared or angry. Just… sad and confused. “Makoto…”_

_“He kissed me and told me he loved me, Haru.” He said, still with that shocked expression. “I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t even move.”_

_“He said sorry because of that?” Haruka asked. That sounds just about right. Rin is stupid most of the time, especially when it comes to them._

_Makoto nodded. He sighed then leaned his right cheek on his knees, facing away from Haruka. “I’m not sure-“_

_“You didn’t tell him?” Haruka stared at him in confusion. It was their last time to talk before Rin would go on his year-long training to Australia. Nagisa had told Haruka that he was sure Makoto would confess soon enough._

_“He kept saying sorry and I- I thought at first he was saying he won’t accept my feelings. But then he kissed me and said he was sorry that he fell for me and I’m not sure what he means by that and-”_

_Haruka placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Makoto,”_

_“Yeah,” Makoto took a deep breath and looked up to him again. “I’m not sure what to do.”_

_Nagisa would have an answer right away. Haruka, on the other hand, had no idea what to say. This was a new concept for him. “Just tell him.” He said simply. It was that simple, right? They like each other. “Call him when he lands.”_

_Makoto stared at him, his expression softening. “No,” He said with finality. “I’ll-” He took another deep breath and steeled himself for this decision. “I’ll wait for him to come back.” He smiled and nodded. “I don’t want to confuse him. He should focus on his training. I think that was- That was why he said sorry.”_

_Haruka wasn’t really sure if that was the right decision. But it was Makoto’s decision, so he’ll support him. “But talk to him at least.” They all knew how Rin could be. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he thinks Makoto was angry at him._

_“Yeah.” Makoto nodded, taking his phone from the table. “I will.” He sat up and took the tub of ice cream and placed it between them, giving Haruka one spoon. “Thanks.”_

_—-_

_[ **From: Makoto**_

**_To: Rin_ **

_It’s okay, Rin. I’m not angry I swear._

_Do your best there. We’ll wait for you here.]_

_Rin stared at his phone, a small sad smile on his face. “I’ll do my best.”_

_—-_

_A year passed by in no time. Rin nervously walked towards the receiving area, wondering who would be there to welcome him back. Nagisa and Gou promised to throw a party, but insisted that since they were busy preparing for the party, someone else had to come and get him. Knowing them, they probably forced Rei to do it. Haruka won’t do it, definitely._

_And Makoto… Makoto probably won’t like to be alone with him. Despite how easy it has been, how the messages between them were constant, Rin knew he still stepped over a line. He’s just really lucky Makoto didn’t get offended by his confession. He’s just lucky Makoto’s such a kind person._

_—-_

_Makoto nervously stared at the door where the arrivals comes out. The others let him do this, knowing full well how much he needed it. One year went by so slowly for him. And yeah, the messages they shared still showed that they could be friends, but Makoto’s feelings never changed._

_And since Rin didn’t know about it, there was a big chance he got over it now. Maybe he found someone else now. Maybe this time, his “I’m sorry” would be for rejecting Makoto’s confession._

_—-_

_“Ma- Makoto?!” Rin stopped in his tracks as soon as Makoto ran towards him. His eyes were wide in shock, and he didn’t know whether he was feeling happy or scared. “I thought-” He honestly thought Makoto would not even consider going here. “Are you alone?”_

_“Yeah.” Makoto smiled softly, that tender smile he always showed that could melt anyone’s heart in a second. “Let me-” He made a move to get one of his luggage._

_“Why?” He didn’t prepare for this. His heart is not ready for this. A year is not enough to erase those kinds of feelings. Especially when the person you love sends you pictures of the sunset and puts in captions like ‘this reminded me of you’. Rin fell even more in love, if that was even possible. “Why you?”_

_Makoto looked hurt at that, hand dropping to his side as he straightened up. “Huh?”_

_“I mean!” Rin tried to erase that look on his face. It doesn’t suit him. “Why would you go here alone to welcome back the guy who forcibly kissed you and said he loved you?” He looked down. “You’re a good guy but… You should think about those-”_

_There was silence for a few seconds, and Rin knew he probably implied that it still mattered to him. That there was still some feelings. Just a few minutes in Japan and he already ruined his friendship again. He looked up, “I-“_

_But before he could say anything, Makoto leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the side of his lips. Just like the one he did: a chaste kiss._

_“We’re even now.” Makoto’s eyes showed how happy he was. And… And Rin let himself believe this is real. This isn’t just one of his dreams. That lingering warmth on his lips is real. Makoto placed a hand on his cheek gently. “You’re really here.” He laughed. “It’s been too long.”_

_Rin closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. “So, you…?” When he opened his eyes, Makoto was staring right at him with that intense gaze._

_“Feel the same.” Makoto nodded. “But I’m not sorry at all.”_

_He couldn’t help but laugh at that. He pulled Makoto and hugged him tightly. “You waited for me?”_

_Another nod. “You still feel the same?”_

_This time, Rin nodded. “I miss you.”_

_“Me too. I miss you.”_


	58. "how i met your father" crack [makorin]

_**Year 2034** _

_“Kids, let me tell you a story. The story of how I met your father.”_

_Kotori and Ryan looked at him with blank expressions. “Dad, please. We want to go out and-” Kotori looked like he had his whole day planned out._

_“It was back in 2007.”_

_Kotori frowned, pouting at his twin sister. “Make him stop.” She shook her head and placed an arm around his shoulders. “Humor him right now. It’ll be fun.”_

_“But it will take so long! I have a date!” Kotori complained._

_“You **do not** have a date, mister.” He cleared his throat. “Now listen! Back in 2007…”_

 

_—_

_I was 12 years old then, and I was immersed in my only passion: swimming. Even at that age, I was already winning competitions left and right. In that particular day in the summer of 2007, I joined 3 events: Backstroke 100m, Butterfly 100m, and Freestyle 100m._

_Unknown to me, he was there. The man who will be the love of my life was there._

_And you know what? He beat me. He beat me right then._

_I didn’t even realize how important that moment was._

_But you know what I remember clearly then? I remember how that guy took my breath away. The way he swam… the way everything slowed down. It took my breath away._

_And that was how I met…_

—

_“Our father?” Kotori asked, smiling brightly and hopefully._

_Rin grinned. “Nah.” He laughed. “That was how I met your Uncle Haru.”_

_Kotori scrunched up his nose. “Ewww. Why would you even tell us that!”_

_“I thought you were a romantic!” Ryan exclaimed, feeling betrayed. “Papa said you were the type to love with all your heart!”_

_“Hey, I do love your uncle!” Rin argued._

_“DAD!” Ryan and Kotori threw the pillows by the couch on his face. “If you’re having an affair…”_

_Rin quirked an eyebrow. “The story’s not finished yet.”_

_Kotori groaned. “You’re just doing this so I won’t go on my date.”_

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rin blinked at him innocently. Ryan hid her mouth behind her hand while she giggled._

_“Papa!” Kotori called out to the other room, obviously asking for support. “Papa, Dad’s being insufferable!”_

_The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard from the kitchen. Makoto peeked from the doorway, eyes looking stern. “Rin,” He stepped inside and crossed his arms. “What did I say about this?”_

_Rin scowled. “He’s SIXTEEN, Makoto!”_

_Makoto raised an eyebrow. “And when did you first kiss me?”_

_“Ooooh.” Ryan straightened up, smiling brightly. “Now that’s a story I want to hear. Daddy, tell that one!”_

_Kotori groaned. “No, really. Please don’t. Let me go already.”_

_Rin looked at his son and smiled triumphantly. “It was in the year 2007…”_

_“YOU WERE TWELVE.” Kotori suddenly exclaimed, eyes wide. “You’re not letting me date but you-” Ryan covered his mouth and motioned for Rin to continue with her other hand. “Daddy, tell me **everything**.”_


	59. makorin family

_Rin had been running for an hour in his usual route when he saw Ryan throwing stones at the beach. At her side was Nagisa and Rei who were watching her fondly. “Hey!” He called out, jogging towards them with a small frown on his face. He crouched down when he was close enough, watching as his six-years old daughter ran towards him excitedly. “Good morning, baby.”_

_She hugged him briefly, then put one of her hands on her hips while she used the other to poke on his cheeks. “You’re frowning.”_

_That made him smile. She always scolded him about it, something she took from Makoto. She’d imitate Makoto’s tone and pose every time he complained about anything. It was adorable. “I’m just thinking why my baby is alone in the beach.”_

_“I’m not alone!” She exclaimed, eyes wide. She threw her hands up, motioning towards her two uncles. “Nagisa-kun and Rei-chan is there!”_

_Rin blinked. “Eh?” He asked, looking around. “Really? I can’t see them.”_

_She pouted and crossed her arms as she looked at her uncles. “You used the invisibility spell again!” She scolded. “Daddy would worry if I’m alone!”_

_Nagisa positively melted at her cuteness, while Rei laughed out loud. “Aw, Ryan, we wanted to surprise your daddy!” Nagisa explained, waving his right hand as if to dispel the spell. “Now, Rin-chan, do you see us?”_

_“Oh!” Rin faked a gasp. “They’re really there! What a shock!”_

_Ryan smiled brightly at them, eyes shining. “Nagisa-kun’s magic is the best.” She announced solemnly._

_Nagisa preened at that, loving the compliment. He’s always been the one who would tell outrageous stories and do magic tricks just to impress his godchildren. Rei rolled his eyes, smiling fondly at his partner. “Makoto’s at the animal clinic.” He said instead, as way of explanation. “Kotori insisted on waiting for you at Haruka’s.”_

_Rin groaned, nose crinkling as he looked up in the sky with despair. “He’s in love.” He said. “Haruka will steal my son from me.”_

_“Kotori is Papa’s!” Ryan exclaimed, placing her little hands on each side of Rin’s face. “Daddy shouldn’t worry! Kotori is Papa’s!”_

_He couldn’t help but laugh and nod. “And Ryan is…?”_

_“Daddy’s!” She proudly exclaimed. “I’m daddy’s favorite girl!”_

_Rin couldn’t stop himself from rushing forward and hugging the little girl, standing up to spin her around as she laughed happily. “Of course you are! Ryan is daddy’s favorite girl!”_


	60. 5 times rin cried + 1 time he didnt [harurin]

**1\. Elementary Graduation**

“You’ve only been here for half a year, Rin.” Haruka glared at him as the ceremony ended, watching as Makoto offered a handkerchief to the aforementioned boy. “You’re crying too much.”

Rin pouted and sniffed loudly, accepting the handkerchief gratefully and wiping at his cheeks. “I’m weak when it comes to this things, okay?”

Haruka just quirked an eyebrow and looked away. Makoto laughed quietly before nodding. “That’s understandable.”

“Right?!” Rin exclaimed. He looked at Makoto with large eyes. “When that kind of touching moment happens, you just get the urge to cry, right?!”

“…right.” Makoto agreed weakly, even as Haruka muttered “Makoto didn’t even cry today.”

**2\. Second Relay**

Haruka heard it even before he saw it. Rin’s sniffles accompanied by soft laughter as he softly said “That was the best sight I could have ever asked for!” His arms were warm around Haruka as his tears fell continuously.

 _‘You’re such a crybaby.’_  Haruka thought with a smile.

**3\. Movie Night**

“I told you not to choose this.” Haruka flatly said to the room at large, eyes intense as his gaze zoomed in on Nagisa. “10 minutes.”

Rei pointedly looked at the wall clock above Makoto’s bed. “Yeah… He’s been in the toilet for 10 minutes.”

Nagisa blinked innocently at Haruka. “Maybe he just has an upset stomach?” He offered a tentative smile.

Haruka rolled his eyes and sighed before he stood up to check up on Rin. “Makoto didn’t cook today.”

“What does that have to do with anything?!” Makoto called out to his back.

But Haruka was already at the end of the hallway, knocking on the door. “Rin,” He called out with a level voice. “Come out already.”

There was silence from the other side.

“That was just the first few minutes.” Haruka said with an exasperated voice. “Nagisa said you should come back because it’s funny.”

“But she died.” The sobbing was now obvious. “She died, Haru!”

Haruka looked up skywards and wondered why Rin was such a drama queen. “That’s not the point of the movie.”

“But he’s so sad without her!” He insisted. “They were so happy and- and-” He sniffed loudly. “I don’t want to see him be happy without her.” He admitted quietly.

…what? Where did that-

 _Oh._  "I bet he didn’t forget her in his whole life, anyway.“ Haruka offered uncharacteristically. Tough times calls for desperate measures. "He’ll always remember how she changed his life.”

Another few seconds of silence. And then, the door opened with Rin walking out quickly. His eyes were red but he looked like he was pretending that he wasn’t crying at all. “Let’s go.”

Haruka couldn’t help but huff out a quiet laugh.

**4\. Gou’s 20th birthday**

“Rin-chan, please do the toast.” Nagisa called out happily from Gou’s side at the front of the crowd.

Haruka was the one who stood up from the very back, eyes wide and determined as he started, “Let’s toast for-” And then he crinkled his nose and pulled Makoto’s sleeves to pull him up. “Makoto would do the toast.” He stated flatly, pushing him forward before sitting down.

Makoto smiled shyly at everyone and raised his glass without much protest.

“You-” A sniff. “You didn’t have to do that.” Rin said from where he was crying behind Makoto and Haru, hidden strategically with coat jackets and chairs. “I can-” He wiped at his eyes. “I can do a speech.”

“They were asking for a toast.” Haruka said patiently, smiling a bit as Makoto successfully made everyone raise their glasses and take all their attention. “Not a speech.”

“I can do a toast too.” Rin hiccuped. His cheeks were red and her eyes were swollen. “I can totally do a toast. Let me do a toast~” He tugged at Haruka’s arm persistently. “Please, Haruuuu~”

Haruka just looked at him with a carefully blank face. “You’re the worst kind of drunk.” He looked away as a smile slowly appeared on his face.

“I! Am! Not! Drunk!” Rin exclaimed at Haruka’s ear. He then sat back down the floor and hid his face between his arms. “But I  _am_ the worst. And my sister is growing up too fast and-” He started sniffling again.

Sighing, Haruka reached out a hand to pat him on the head awkwardly. He used his other hand to tug Makoto back. “Rin’s being a crybaby again.”

Makoto just smiled fondly and took his handkerchief from his pocket. “It’s okay, Rin-chan. You’re an awesome brother.” He said immediately while gently wiping at Rin’s cheek. “You don’t have to cry.”

Haruka put a hand on his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

**5\. Olympic Gold Medal**

Haruka had his event on the next day, so he was sitting beside Gou when it happened. Rin looked confident and happy when he stepped up on the platform. He swam better than he had ever done before. And when he finished the race, he looked up to see his name on the top of the list. He froze and stared wide-eyed at it.

“ONII-CHAN!” Gou shouted proudly.

“You did it!” Haruka couldn’t help but do the same. “Rin!”

As if pulled awake by their voices, Rin’s eyes zeroed in on them and a huge smile spread on his lips. “I did it!” He shouted, throwing his arms up triumphantly. “I won!” He started laughing, tears streaming down his face as he stared at Haruka. “I won!”

Haruka smiled softly at him, nodding a few times in encouragement, before mouthing, “You reached your dream.”

Rin’s eyes widened and he ducked his head down as he sobbed out harder.

**+1. After Haruka’s proposal**

“He didn't  _cry?_ ” Makoto sounded incredulous as he stared at Haruka’s face. They were at the living room of his house. Rin, Nagisa and Rei were somewhere upstairs (quite possibly at Makoto’s room). “How- I can’t imagine-  _How_?”

Haruka blinked in confusion. “He hasn’t answered yet.”

“He didn’t-” Makoto gasped and stood up, eyes wide. “Rin-chan!” He exclaimed, already running to the stairs. “Rin-chan!” He opened the door to his room only to see Nagisa jumping up to silence him.

“Sshhh!” Nagisa put a finger to his lips. “Rin-chan’s in a… uh, he’s frozen.” He explained slowly.

Makoto peeked to see Rei poking Rin’s arms not-so-lightly. “What?”

“I think he went into a protective shock state.” Rei explained, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “It’s amazing.”

“Wha-” Makoto’s jaw dropped at their nonchalance. “This is a big deal!” He whispered harshly. “Haruka gathered his courage to propose so Rin-chan should-!”

“Ah!” Rei stood up in shock as Rin blinked repeatedly. “He’s awake.”

“Oh, yeah.” Rin’s eyes were wide. “Haru.” He stood up immediately. “I have to-” He ran downstairs and the others immediately followed. “Haru!”

Haruka looked up from where he was calmly grilling some mackerel. “Rin? You’re fine now?” He asked, a small smile on his face.

A faint blush appeared on Rin’s cheeks. “Yeah,” He answered quietly. “Sorry.” He scratched the back of his neck as he nodded. “You just surprise me, is all.”

“Hmmm…” Haruka nodded and placed the mackerel on the plate. “Dinner would be served soon.”

Rin scrunched up his nose as he took a few steps closer. “You  _are_ angry, aren’t you?” He asked cautiously. He stopped just by his side. “I’m-”

“I’m not.” Haruka rolled his eyes, huffing out a breath. “It’s better than seeing you cry, that kind of reaction.” He said, still with the calm tone.

To that, Rin smiled and shuffled closer. Makoto and the others rushed off to the other room. “Yeah?” He asked, circling his arms around Haruka’s waist. “I have another reaction in mind.”

“Hm?” Haruka angled his head to the side to look at him.

Rin grinned and pecked his lips quickly. “ _Yes, I will marry you._ ”


	61. catws au [makorin]

Makoto was still standing in the middle of the road five minutes after the enemy ran away. People were moving around him, and there was a distinct buzz of confusion and fear, but he could not move. He stood there, gaze trained at the direction where The Winter Soldier escaped to. “It can’t be…” He whispered to himself.  
  
“What is it?” Gou was suddenly beside him, eyebrow arched up in confusion. “Normally, you’d be the first one to help clear debris.”  
  
“I-” He frowned before looking away.  _It can’t be_ , he repeated inside his head like a mantra. “Did you see him?” He hated how soft and weak his voice was, like how it was before he took the serum, like how he was when he was still being taken care of by Rin. “His- The mask fell down.”  
  
“No,” Gou has her eyes narrowed now, and she looked concerned. “Did you recognize him?” She asked immediately. She had that knack of knowing exactly what to ask to get to the root of the problem. Part of being a super spy, he thinks.  
  
“It was…” He took a deep breath, braced himself for the feelings that would come out from this. “It was Matsuoka Rin.”  
  
Her eyes widened. “Grandpa?”

 

**—**

 

_“No.” Rin’s eyes were narrowed and his lips were pursed into a thin line. He was angry, his whole body tense. “You’re not going to enlist for the service-”_

_“I want to!” Makoto insisted, looking up and squaring his shoulders in defiance. He was small and weak, but he had determination and a passion to help. He wanted this. He wanted to be of service to the country. “Please, just-”_

_Rin sighed, rubbing his hand on his face with obvious disdain. “Who am I kidding?” He muttered to himself. “I know I can’t stop you.”_

_Makoto smiled widely then. “Yeah.” His eyes softened. “You can’t protect me forever.”_

_“Well, I can try.”_

 

 

**—**

 

 

Makoto sat on the couch, eyes glazed as memories overwhelmed him. It’s been so many years since then, and Rin was supposed to be dead. Makoto saw him fall. He couldn’t have survived a fall from that high.

But it was the same face. He couldn’t forget that face no matter how long he’s slept. He could recognize it anywhere. It was Rin. A Rin who has empty eyes and who’s voice broke when he said “I don’t know you”. 

It felt so… surreal. And it made his chest feel heavy with sadness.

No… He can’t fixate on this. He needed to focus on his mission. He’ll have to defeat the Winter Soldier, and then take him back to S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe Captain Amakata could help. Maybe they could-

“You think loudly.” Gou said, slipping into his room through the window with ease. “Also, your security sucks. Just saying.”

Before he could reply, there was a knock on his door. He sighed and stood up, despite not wanting to interact with anyone right now.

“Hey!” Nagisa, a former soldier he met a few days ago, was in front of his door with boxes of pizza on his hands. “I heard there was a party here.”

He frowned. “There isn’t.” He was pretty sure no one was supposed to know his address, actually. He was trying to live a nondescript life outside of his Captain America duties.

“Really?” Nagisa looked confused for a moment, before he stepped in. “Well, now there is.” He announced to the room at large. “We’re going to party.”

“Lame~” Gou called out from where she was leaning on the wall beside the living room. “You can’t party with just two people.”

Nagisa smiled at her with a familiarity that threw Makoto off for a bit. “Oh, Gou, you underestimate my skills.” They know each other, apparently. “I could call-”

“Please don’t party in my small apartment.” Makoto pleaded immediately, eyes wide. “I’m-”

Gou’s eyes softened as soon as she heard that. Her eyes looked just like her grandpa’s, and it made Makoto feel all the more confused. He really missed Rin.

“Fine,” Nagisa huffed. “More pizza for me!” He exclaimed happily, walking over to the living room and dropping the four boxes of pizzas as if this was his house. “We could talk about why Gou called me and asked me to buy pizza  _or_ we could watch a movie!”

Makoto blinked. “Eh?” He looked over at Gou, who was blatantly ignoring this statement as she picked out a movie. “How do you know each other?”

“We met years ago.” He shrugged, sitting at the couch immediately. “She tried to kill me and I ran away. Then, we became penpals.” That… probably has a long story behind it. Makoto was not touching that right now. Especially since he still can’t believe that his beloved grand niece used to be an assassin against the country. There is a time for that talk. Not now. 

“Are we gonna watch a movie or are you gonna continue moping about my grandpa?” She asked, a teasing smile on her face. “Relax, old man. Agent Nanase would alert us if he has any information.”

“Yeah,” He nodded, smiling weakly. “Thanks.”

 

 

**—**

 

 

 _“…Makoto?” Rin gaped at him, arms limp at his side and eyes wide. “You’re…” He scrunched up his nose. “You’re taller than me.”_  

_“And that’s bad?” Makoto asked, blinking slowly. He wasn’t used to looking down to talk to Rin. It was… weird. His body felt so different now, and he felt as if he had to retrain his senses for the additional inches he gained._

_Rin shrugged. “Not necessarily.” He was trying to look nonchalant, but his eyes raked all over Makoto’s form with curiosity and amazement. “It’s just… unusual. I have to look up now.”_

_“And I’m stronger.” Makoto said with a bright smile. “I can protect you now.”_

_This time, a frown settled on Rin’s lips. “You don’t have to do that.” He shook his head. “You’re going to fight for the country. I’m a soldier too. We protect the country, not each other.”_

_“You protect_ me _.” Makoto retorted, confused._

_“Yeah,” Rin agreed. “But that’s different. I have a duty to protect you, too. You’re-”_

_“I’m?”_

_“You’re my responsibility.”_

_“But-” Makoto shook his head vehemently, eyes going sharp. “But you’re my friend and I want to-”_

_“No.” Rin insisted roughly. “I told you, it’s different.”_

 

 

**—**

 

 

Nagisa smiled brightly at her as he hovered a few feet off the ground. “Impressed?”

Gou rolled her eyes. “Hurry up and hoist me up. I need to look for my grandpa.” 

“How young is this grandpa, exactly?” Nagisa asked curiously.

“About Makoto’s age?” She explained patiently. “Hoist me up?”

“This sleeping for centuries thing is the  _in_ thing, isn’t it?” Nagisa asked, flying closer and grabbing her by her arms. “Why wasn’t I offered this wonderful-”

She rolled her eyes again, eyes roving the place as Nagisa flew higher and higher. “Maybe because they offered you wings?”

“ _Mechanical wings_ , Gou.” He corrected immediately, laughing at her disdain. “I’m not a super-powered guy. I’m no superhero.”

“Neither am I.” She said, sighing. “So we need to work harder to find him. Makoto will finish up fighting those goons soon. I don’t want to come back down empty-handed.” Her voice had that professional tone she rarely used around him. “He’s too worried as it is.” 

He nodded absentmindedly, looking down at the people below them as well. “He isn’t saying anything but it’s obvious.”

“I don’t want him to make a mistake, just because he thinks it’s my grandpa.” She confessed, pointing towards the left as she caught sight of a group of goons running in that direction. “He’s a classic martyr, so…”

“You think he might…?”

She nodded. “I won’t put it past him. My grandma, Rin’s sister, always told me about how Makoto lost that spark in his eyes when grandpa died. I don’t think he can handle losing him another time.”

 

 

**—**

 

 

 _“He’s not-” Makoto gritted his teeth, staring at the window with glazed eyes. “He’s not dead.”_  

_“You saw him.” Rin’s sister sat beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You have to let him go.”_

_“But I-” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “I didn’t- I couldn’t tell him how I-” He placed his head on his hands, feeling like crying his eyes out. He wouldn’t, though. Not here. Not now. “I couldn’t protect him. I told him I’d protect him.”_

_“You did as much as you could.” She said softly._

_“I should have tried harder.”_

 

 

**—**

 

 

“Rin…” Makoto stood still, eyes wide as the man before him removed his mask and threw it on the floor. 

He still had empty eyes and his voice was still broken when he said “I remember you.” He looked so lost, like a helpless child instead of a mindless killer. “Why do I remember you?”

“I’m your friend.” Makoto knew his voice revealed his weakness, his overwhelming emotions. But he couldn’t help it. Rin was alive. Rin was in front of him again. “I’m here to help you.”

“They told me to kill you.” His eyes hardened as that sentence was said, as if he suddenly realized what he had to do. “It’s my mission to kill you.”

Makoto nodded, gaze unwavering. He stood tall, posture straight like how Rin taught him when they were kids, as he walked closer. He dropped his shield on the side and smiled gently. “I know.”

“I have to kill you.” He sounded strangled, confused.

“You don’t have to.” Makoto opened his arms, stepping closer. “You don’t  _want_ to.”

Rin closed his eyes, long red hair cascading in front of his face. “I have a mission.” He said mechanically. “I have a mission.”

“And I have a responsibility to protect you.” Makoto replied, just as softly.

Recognition passed in Rin’s eyes when he opened them. He took a step back, staggering slightly. “I- You-”

“I’ll always protect you, no matter what you say.”

Rin dropped on his knees, dagger falling down the floor.

 

 

—

 

 

Nagisa laid on the sidewalk, panting in exhaustion. “Next time, we should just call the Avengers. Let them handle this shit.”

Gou glared at him, crossing her arms. “ _I’m_ a member of the Avengers.”

He laughed. “I know.” He peeked at the side, where Makoto was helping a limping Rin over to the car. “Good work, super spy. Next time, please call Thor or something. My human muscles are aching.”

She just sighed at that, not even giving a response to that. “It could have been worse.” She shrugged, watching fondly as Makoto deposited Rin into the passenger seat of the car. “At least, we didn’t have to fight the super-powered Winter Soldier.”

“Yeah,” He nodded in agreement. “Glad that love paved the way for our victory.”

“Love paved what?” Makoto asked as soon as he was near them. He blinked innocently at the two. “Oh, Gou, can you drive us to the headquarters? Haru said Miss Amakata wanted to see us immediately.”

She stood up immediately. “Doctor Rei is waiting for you too. He said he wants to look at grandpa’s brain. It was creepy.” She shuddered.

He laughed. “I hope they could help him regain his memories.”

Nagisa stood up slowly after them, trailing them as they all walked over to the car. “It would be nice if that happened soon. Then, you could go on dates with your beloved Rin.” His voice showed obvious teasing.

Makoto stopped on his tracks, eyes wide. “Why would we-” H blinked repeatedly, cheeks aflame. “I don’t- We aren’t-”

“Oh?” Nagisa narrowed his eyes at him. “You should do something about that, then. Second chance at love, or something.” He shrugged, walking over to Gou’s side to steal her car keys.

Makoto stood still for a whole minute. Gou and Nagisa just left him to it, fighting over who would drive the car. “I-” He cleared his throat. They stopped bickering to look at him. “I should. I should do that.” He said, much more confident. “Second chance at love.” He repeated, smiling to himself. “That sounds nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly??? i wanna write this so badly


	62. iwatobi rin [nagirin]

—001—

 

“Just consider it, please?” Nagisa persisted, holding on to his shoulders from the back while peering at him with those large, clear eyes of his. The grip was strong and firm, as if he was making sure Rin won’t run away this time.

Rin glanced at him with disdain, shoulders tensed and feet itching to move. “I already joined another club.” He said, annoyed. “I’m not swimming anymore.”

His grip tightened. “Rinrin!” He exclaimed, enough for the people around the hallway to hear.

“OI!” Rin’s eyes widened and he pushed forward to get away. “Don’t use that name!”

Nagisa smiled then, or rather ‘smirked’. “Why is that, Rinrin?”

He glared. “I’m not joining any club you’re making. Quit it.” He averted his gaze, not really immune to that 'wide-eyed-honest’ stare just yet. He’s not taking any chances. He’ll do everything not to yield.

“Would you join if I win in a competition?” Nagisa bargained, looking thoughtful. “Like how you decided on the relay before?” He looked confident of the idea. He probably continued swimming even in Junior High. His build was still small, but he might still be hiding that monster-skill of his. Rin can’t keep his guard down.

“No.” Rin replied flatly. “I’ve quit swimming.”

 

—002—

 

 

“I’m not sure about this plan.” Rin said, glancing at the nervous Nagisa beside him. “It doesn’t- You guys shouldn’t do this.”

“But Gou-chan said it sounded great. I think so, too.” He insisted. “And Mako-chan gave us his approval.”

Rin raised an eyebrow. “Makoto did?”

Nagisa nodded, staring at the training regime they made. “He said we should do whatever we could do to train better.” He looked up then, blinking at Rin’s worried expression. “Is something wrong?”

“N-nothing.” Rin looked away, scratching at his neck. “Besides, you don’t have to ask me.” He let go of his hold on the piece of paper, letting Nagisa take it. “I’m not a real member.”

“Yeah, sure.” Nagisa just laughed at that.

“I’m not.” Rin argued, glaring at the younger boy. “Rei is your butterfly in the relay.”

Nagisa just looked at him with an unimpressed expression. “I  _know_.” He said. “That doesn’t mean you’re not a member. You’re-” He put his index finger on his chin, looking up thoughtfully. “You’re like a student coach. See,” He pointed at the paper. “This one’s based on your training regime.” He grinned triumphantly, as if that statement was the winning argument.

“You and Gou stole it from my room.” Rin crossed his arms defiantly. “I didn’t help out!”

“You’re wearing the jacket.” Nagisa added, smiling still.

“It’s- I don’t want people to know I’m a fake member.” He retorted. “That would look bad on you, wouldn’t it?” He turned his back on Nagisa and huffed out “I’m just here to make up the numbers.”

“Whatever you say.” Nagisa said happily, before running off to find Gou and Makoto. (They don’t talk about the fact that Rin swam after class with Haruka last week, or that he left some Swimming-related books inside Rei’s locker. Rin  _is_  a member; it’ll just take time to make him admit it.)


	63. makorin fam pt2

_“Daddy, why am I named Ryan?” Their daughter, 7 years old and overly curious about everything, asked with wide eyes. “Am I named after Ryan Gosling? That guy in The Notebook…” She knew him well enough now, because they’ve watched that movie together 5 times already. Her daddy likes love stories a lot, and she likes what he likes!_

_“Nah,” Rin laughed, ruffling her hair. “You’re named after someone much more awesome.” He grinned. “Ryan Lochte. He won eleven Olympic medals for swimming!”_

_Her jaw fell in amazement. “Uwah!” She raised both hands, smiling widely. “My name is awesome!”_

_He smiled fondly, poking her forehead playfully. “Yes, it is. And you’re awesome too.”_

_She nodded. “I am!”_

_Makoto laughed from the side where he was currently reading on some sort of diagnosis report for one of the kids in the hospital. “You sound like your daddy so much.” He said, showing a teasing smile towards Rin. “He had that overflowing confidence too, when we were kids.”_

_Rin narrowed his eyes at him and pouted, but did not comment. Ryan, on the other hand, smiled wider at her daddy. “I’m like daddy?!” She squealed. “That means I can win an Olympic medal too?”  
_

_“Yes, you can, baby.” Rin replied immediately._

_“You should practice harder then.” Kotori suddenly spoke from where he was coloring something at Makoto’s side. “You skipped practice to go to the beach-”_

_“I **practiced**  at the beach.” Ryan snapped, glaring at her brother with the kind of intensity that even 12 years old Rin couldn’t muster. “I still swam properly. Unlike you.”_

_Rin raised an eyebrow, sharing a curious look with Makoto. “Eh…?” He glanced at his son. “You both skipped practice?”_

_“I- I was in the Swim Club all day!” Kotori insisted._

_“But you didn’t **swim**.” Ryan sneered. “You were locked up in the room-”_

_Kotori glared back at her. “At least I stayed in place! Did you swim on your own? In the beach?”_

_Makoto was the one who spoke up this time. “Ryan… I told you-”_

_“I was with Uncle Nagisa!” Ryan used her best innocent expression as she faced her papa. “He was teaching me how to swim Breast Stroke! …And he showed me some great pictures from your elementary days. I was just curious…”_

_“You should still have asked for our permission.” Makoto gently explained. “Even if you’re with Nagisa, we would want to know if you’re not in the Swim Club.”_

_“I asked for Uncle Haru’s permission! Ah, no, Uncle Nagisa asked for his permission and he agreed.” Ryan explained, smiling now. She knew she wasn’t in trouble anymore. So, of course, she had to dish out a counter-attack. “That’s how I saw Kotori.” Her smile turned triumphant. “He was sitting on Uncle Haru’s desk! He skipped practice to draw in the office!”_

_“Tsk,” Kotori’s eyebrows were furrowed, like he was thinking up an excuse._

_Rin crossed his arms and frowned deeply, staring Kotori down. “If you don’t want to swim-”_

_“It’s not like I don’t want to!” Kotori promptly shook his head. “It’s just…” He looked down, voice dropping low. “I like drawing better… Uncle Haru gave me a new crayon set…”_

_Blinking repeatedly, jaw hanging open, Rin stood up. “What?!”_

_“I! I’ll swim! It’s-” Kotori hung his head in fear._

_“No…” Rin sighed, walking towards him and kneeling in front. “It’s okay if you don’t swim.” He waited until Kotori looked up at him before continuing. “But I wanted to buy you that new crayon set.” His frown showed his frustration. “That… ugh… Haru…” He growled low. “I’ll get him back. I’ll buy you a sketchpad.”_

_Kotori’s eyes widened in glee. “Really?! It’s okay if I don’t attend Swim Practice anymore?”_

_Makoto chuckled. “I’m already looking into the after-school art classes in your school.”_

_“Papa!!!” Kotori jumped to his feet and tackle-hugged Makoto. “Thank you!!!”_

_“Hey! I helped think about that!” Rin protested, scowling._

_Ryan ran to his side and snuggled to his side. “No, daddy, **I’m**  the one who’ll hug you.” She grinned at him and burrowed her head on the side of his neck._

_“You’re acting more and more like Nagisa. It’s scary.” Rin muttered, laughing quietly._

_Makoto laughed as well. “And Kotori’s like a more expressive Haru.”_

_“I’ll be like Daddy! Not Uncle!” Ryan exclaimed the same time Kotori happily replied with a “Really?! That’s great!”_

_Rin was torn between being happy for his daughter’s unwavering support or face-palming at his son’s Haru-lovesickness. “You should both become more like your Papa. He’s the greatest.” He said, instead._

_Makoto smiled brightly at that, kissing the top of Kotori’s head before leaning to the side to do the same to the still kneeling Rin. “Now, now, we should head up to bed. We wake up early tomorrow.”_

_“Hai~!”_


	64. makorin; rin is shy

_“I… That is…” Rin looked at the brown carpet on the floor. It was one of the first things they bought for this shared apartment. The one they bought alongside Rin’s comfy larger-than-is-practical bed. Speaking of the said bed… “What I want to ask is…”_

_“Hm?” Makoto smiled gently at him, prodding him to continue._

_Rin looked up at him then, staring at all his shirtless glory. He really should have thought better than to call Makoto’s attention just after he showered. Of course, since Makoto is such a caring guy, he’ll forego wearing his clothes just so he could immediately go to Rin. Ugh. It’s so distracting. “It’s been a while… since we did… you know, **that**.”_

_Makoto blinked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean?”_

_“I mean…” Rin scrunched up his nose in concentration. He stared at Makoto’s face, thinking of how to say it with tact and grace and not his usual brand of fail. But as he searched his partner’s face, he couldn’t help but see that devilish twinkle in his eyes and the slight upturn at the side of his lips. What the- Ugh. Really? “You’re enjoying this.” He accused._

_“Eh?” Makoto really did smile then. “What do you mean?”_

_“You know, I was just thinking about how nice it was of you to come here immediately after I called you, but…” Rin frowned. “That was totally part of your plan, wasn’t it?”_

_Makoto blinked, laughing quietly. “I didn’t plan anything.”_

_“But you’re enjoying this!” Rin insisted, blushing as he pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You’re really enjoying this.”_

_“I am.” Makoto conceded. His smile was all kind of gentle and sincere and… just, perfect. “I **am**  enjoying this.” He agreed._

_“Don’t enjoy my misery!” Rin exclaimed, feeling and sounding betrayed._

_“I’m not.” Makoto frowned. “I’m just-” He looked straight at Rin’s eyes and did that i-love-you-so-much-what-am-i-gonna-do-with-you sigh. “I’m just happy when I see you asking for what you want. It’s a nice look on you.” He explained softly. “You should always ask.” The **and I’ll always give it**  was left unsaid, but it was clear._

_Rin’s frustration, embarrassment and anger melted just like that. He sighed. “You–!” He licked his lips, letting his eyes rove around Makoto’s body before settling on his face. “Shut up and kiss me.”_

_And Makoto did._


	65. what if - sousuke is a dog person [soumako]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part of the what if series, aka that ask meme when i answered what-if questions regarding sousuke with soumako fic

“You’re wrong and that’s just-” Rin gritted his teeth and glared at Sousuke. “We might think the same about a lot of things but  _this_ , Sou, this is a deal breaker.” He had his index finger pointed at Sousuke like he was pointing at a suspect of a murder. “We’re  _over_.” He finished dramatically.

This was the scene the Iwatobi boys saw as soon as they walked in Samezuka’s indoor pool. Haruka didn’t even bat an eye and just stripped down at the side without any care. Rei raised an eyebrow but followed suit. Nagisa had big, sparkly eyes as he whispered “A fall-out?” with too much enthusiasm. And Makoto stared wide eyed, a worry-filled frown on his lips. “What happened?” Makoto and Nagisa walked over to the two; the former to ask what was wrong, and the latter to gossip.

Sousuke just shrugged, rolling his eyes as he brought his attention to the newcomers. “Rin is over reacting.”

“Makoto,” Rin said gravely. “ _He thinks dogs are cuter than cats.”_

A sharp intake of breath could be heard from Makoto and Nagisa. “You  _what?”_

“I  _just_ said I would rather have dogs than cats because dogs are loyal, you know? Not like cats who are-”

Sousuke was cut off when Makoto raised a hand in front of him, a scrunched up expression on his face. “Don’t.” He said, shaking his head vehemently. “Dogs are cute too, but-”

“Cats are the best.” Rin finished for him, with the same determined and stubborn expression on his face. Nagisa had suspiciously disappeared from his side. “Cats are graceful and independent and they make the cutest sound.”

“And you can put bows on them that would always look good, and you could give them a bell too.” Makoto added, eyes wide and looking at Sousuke as if he needed more than anything for Sousuke to agree.

“Yeah,  _but-_ ” He can’t just let it go like that. Yeah, cats were all that, but dogs were great. He had 3 dogs at home. They were his babies. “Dogs are good at playing and they could jog with me and they scare bad people off. They’re really cute, okay?”

Before anyone could reply to that, Nagisa came running from the door, a white beautiful cat with a red bow nestled between his arms. “Mako-chan! I brought in Umi-chan~ She was outside, waiting for you!” He had an evil glint in his eyes when he looked at Sousuke. “Take her, Mako-chan.” He gently placed the cat on Makoto’s waiting arms.

“You missed me?” Makoto whispered to the cat’s fur, nuzzling his nose on it. “You cutie~” He chuckled, petting her on the head as she mewled. “You’re the sweetest cat~” He continued petting it happily with the most contented smile on his face. He made soft noises and praises and snuffling little sounds.

Sousuke’s whole face was red. He looked away from the scene and chose to glare at Nagisa instead. “Hazuki, you’re a spawn of evil.” He mouthed.

Makoto continued to make happy noises at the background.

“So, what do you think of cats now?” Nagisa asked cheekily.

Sousuke chanced a glance at Makoto and saw him blissfully kissing the top of Umi’s white head. “ _Fine,_ ” He gritted out, feeling the warm bloom of fondness in his chest. “You win this time.”

Rin and Nagisa high-fived. Makoto looked up with a large smile. “I knew you’d change your mind! Isn’t Umi-chan the cutest?”

_You’re the cute one, damnit._


	66. what if sousuke was popular [soumako]

It’s been 6 years since they first saw each other. 4 months since they were officially introduced to each other. 2 months since they started hanging out regularly.

They’re… Swim Club captains of rivaling teams. Acquaintances… No,  _friends_. Close friends, even. They’re at that level already. They had common friends and they spent a lot of times hanging out with their group. They know each other enough.

But they were from different schools and that meant Makoto didn’t see Sousuke’s school life quite fully. Which is why…

“Sousuke?” Makoto couldn’t even reach him before a group of girls rushed inside and closed the door behind them. The queue outside the room, composed of different people of different ages and genders, moved forward. It was a long line. A very long line. Longer than last year, if the pictures Nitori showed them was any proof. “What-” Makoto’s eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at the endless-looking line from the other side of the hallway.

“Sou-chan’s inside, isn’t he?” One of the boys in front chuckled, peeking at the door. “Man, all the girls are flocking around him. Damn it, why did he have to transfer on his third year? We couldn’t see the maid version.”

His friends nodded in agreement. “That would have been really funny.” One said. “But it might have looked good too, right?” The group sighed sadly in chorus.

_Was… Yamazaki-kun super popular?_

———

“Yeah,” Rin answered when Makoto asked the question during his break. The whole gang (minus Sousuke) was lounging around the side of the indoor swimming pool, trying to have some peace and quiet before they fully immerse themselves in the Samezuka Cultural Fair. “That bastard’s popular, alright. I’m pretty sure people wants to have a fan’s club of him.” Nitori, who was sitting by his side, nodded as well.

“Really?!” Nagisa looked confused at that statement. “But Sou-chan isn’t as sweet as Mako-chan. Or as mysterious as Haru-chan.” He narrowed his eyes. “Haru-chan and Mako-chan should have a fan’s club too, then.”

Rin rolled his eyes. “That’s not the point, Nagisa.” He leaned on the wall behind him, stretching his tired legs. Being a butler is tiring and Rin isn’t excited to come back to that. It’s all Sousuke’s fault, for bringing in a larger crowd than usual. “Besides, Haru’s not mysterious. That guy’s just an airhead.” After a brief glance at Haruka’s flat, unimpressed look, he turned to look at Makoto’s frown. “Makoto probably should have a fan’s club, though. You’re right.”

Nagisa smiled proudly, latching on to Makoto’s arm. “Of course! Mako-chan’s the best!”

Rei nodded sagely, pushing his glasses up just for the sake of it. “Iwatobi won’t lose even in this.”

“Guys,” Makoto raised both hands in front of him to stop them from discussing that any further. “We’re talking about Yamazaki-kun.” He reminded them to bring the topic back to its original course. “How-” He really wasn’t sure how to ask it. He _could_ imagine Sousuke being really popular. Sousuke was smart, athletic and had great leadership skills. But it was somehow hard to imagine him being friendly to all those people, especially with how much time he allots for training and studying.

The grin Rin showed looked like he understood Makoto’s confusion completely. “Right?” He said, laughing. “ _How_ , is the question.” He agreed wholeheartedly.

Nitori pushed up from where he was slumped on the wall and looked wide-eyed at them. “It’s not that hard to understand!” He insisted. “Even if captain is… uh, even if captain is very strict, he’s really nice outside of practice.”

“Oi, no need to push yourself too hard.” Rin smirked, patting Nitori on the back. “I’m sure you’re still scared of Sousuke after that monstrous training.”

With furrowed eyebrows and a deep frown, Nitori shook his head. “No! I’m not afraid of him anymore.” He huffed out a breath and started to explain. “He helped me become faster and stayed after practice to watch over me. He’s  _really_  nice.”

That didn’t wipe out the smirk on Rin’s face. He looked even more gleeful upon hearing that, actually. “Are you- Did you become a  _fan_?”

“Senpai!” Nitori blushed furiously. “Matsuoka-senpai is still my favorite!”

“Aw,” Rei cooed, shooting Rin a knowing look. “That’s nice, Rin.” Haruka intoned blankly. Rin groaned and poked Nitori’s forehead. “Don’t say things that would be taken wrongly, idiot.”

Nagisa had no time for that though. He was looking at Makoto with a calculating gaze. “What do you think, Mako-chan?” He asked, smiling softly. “Is it weird that Sou-chan’s so popular?”

Makoto blinked a few times before shaking his head. “Not at all.” He shook his head another time to emphasize that. “I just don’t know when he became friends with so many people. He’s always so busy.”

“Ah,” Rin glanced at Nagisa suspiciously then settled his attention back to Makoto. “I think it’s the same with Nitori.” He explained, gesturing towards his underclassman. “Sousuke doesn’t go out of the way to make friends. He’s just  _everywhere_ , you know? He helps out in class, and in the club, and everywhere he goes. Especially in his old school, it was co-ed so…”

"Oh!” Nagisa smiled brightly. “It was like a snowball? One small thing after another, and then rumors piled up until he got popular?”

Rin nodded. “It doesn’t help that he’s got such a big gap.” He shrugged.

“Being strict and then having a hard time talking when it’s not about practical things?” Makoto asked, smiling fondly at the memory. Sousuke was harsh and at-point when it comes to practices, but then practice ends and he awkwardly stands outside the clubroom, unsure on what the SOP is when it comes to saying goodbye to rival swimming teams.  _It’s cute_  is what Makoto always thinks when he catches Sousuke talking to himself. (Makoto once caught him saying ‘why is this so hard’ to  _a wall_  while he was walking back to the clubroom. Sousuke immediately looked up and schooled his expression into nonchalance by the time he noticed Makoto.  _Adorable_.)

“Yeah.” Rin chuckled. “He’s good looking too.”

Nagisa nodded vigorously, and laughed when Rei threw him a sour look. “ _Objectively_ , Sou-chan is hot like the sun.” He stated very seriously.

(Makoto personally think so too.)

—-

They went around the Cultural Festival for one whole round before the line for the Swim Club’s cafe was short enough. Even then, Sousuke’s friends from other schools kept him busy. There was not much time to talk.

“Tachibana!” Sousuke called out when they were about to go. “Uh, guys!” He waved a hand, his smile small and unsure. “You’re going already?” He looked…  _sad_. Maybe. Like he didn’t want them to go.

“We don’t want to clog the line.” Makoto said, glancing at the still-long line by the door. “The food was good though. And you look good in that.” He added reassuringly.

Sousuke’s ears turned red. “Uh,” He looked at the empty table the Iwatobi boys just vacated and furrowed his eyebrows. “You could have tea refills, though.”

Nagisa perked up. Rei raised an eyebrow. Haruka narrowed his eyes and glanced at the make-shift kitchen, probably to confirm with Rin.

“We could?” Makoto asked, confused. “But the others-”

A girl at the table beside them giggled, watching them. Another spectator, a boy with brown hair, stood up and clapped Sousuke on the back. “It’s a special service!” He said, laughing. A few of the other customers laughed as well. It was like… well, an inside joke for Sousuke’s friends? What…?

“Um,” Makoto frowned and looked at the encouraging expression on the people around. “If… you insist?”

“I insist! I insist!” Sousuke said, a little too enthusiastically. He cleared his throat immediately and nodded. “You’re Rin’s friends, after all.” He said with his usual serious-captain expression.

“Don’t use me for flirting, idiot!” came a voice from the kitchen.

Sousuke’s whole face turned red. “Shut up, Rin!” He shot back. A group of boys wolf-whistled on the side.

Makoto couldn’t help but laugh as he sat down. When Sousuke came back with their refill, he said “You look tired. Want to sit with us?”

(Haruka and the others left after drinking their first refill. Makoto wasn’t allowed to leave by the people around, though. Apparently, seeing Sousuke act all embarrassed is a  _thing to behold_.

Luckily, Makoto was more than glad to stay.)


	67. nagisa introspection [nagirin]

_Nagisa respects, idolizes and loves Haruka with his whole heart. Every shred of his being wants to sing praises about the freestyle swimmer._

_But in a special place in his heart, in that corner he didn’t really think about much, Matsuoka Rin already burrowed himself inside. With his enthusiasm and secret softness, Rin had earned that place._

_So, really, he wants to do something for the guy. Because he was a raging asshole and he hurt Haruka once, but Nagisa should have remembered that small corner, should have reached to it, instead of ignoring it exists. Haruka was important, but so was Rin._

_And Rin didn’t have a Makoto during his dark times._

_He didn’t have anyone._

_Rin took them before, made them into the best team in Iwatobi, and made a solid friendship bloom between them. Rin gave them a life-changing experience. The least Nagisa could have done was listen to the words he couldn’t say. The **I’m sorry** , the  **I’m so lonely** , the  **please help me**._

_So, now that everything’s done, now that they’re a little bit like before, now that the shadow lingering behind Rin’s eyes had dissipated, Nagisa would do his best to give back even a fraction of what he did not give before, a fraction of what Rin offered 5 years ago._

 

_+++_

_“I’m sorry, Rin-chan.” Nagisa said out of the blue, eyes on the Samezuka pool. The older boy sat beside him and leaned to his side until their shoulders were plastered together. It was quiet so Nagisa continued. “I didn’t try hard enough.”_

_To that, Rin’s shoulders tensed and he elbowed Nagisa lightly. “Idiot.” He said, voice soft and quiet. “I’m pretty sure you were completely annoying to Haruka, with all your stupid plans to reach me.”_

_“But-”_

_“It was my fault.” He insisted, nudging Nagisa’s side until he was facing him. “I was the one who didn’t let you in. You did enough.”_

_Nagisa pouted. “I’m still going to pay you back lots and lots, though.” He crossed his arms and raised his chin pointedly. “I’m going to make you smile so much that you’ll forget.” The implied ‘everything else that happened’ was clear._

_Rin raised an eyebrow, the sides of his lips twitching up as if he wanted to smile but was trying hard not to. “Oh yeah?”_

_“Yeah!” Nagisa exclaimed, grinning widely now. “You’re going to be so happy that nothing can make you sad ever again.” He settled back to his original position, though this time closer, with his whole side sticking to Rin’s. “Hmmm, what should I start with?”_

_Rin kept quiet for a while, letting Nagisa think up his plans as usual. Then, after a whole 5 minutes, he bumped the side of his head with Nagisa’s. “Just stay.”_

_Nagisa leaned his head on Rin’s shoulder, feeling his whole heart lighten considerably. “Yeah?” He couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear._

_“Shut up.” Rin retorted, obviously embarrassed._

_“Un,” Nagisa said after another long silence. “I’ll stay.”_


	68. nagiringou gen braiding each other's hair

_There’s an added hazard to Nagisa being so close to Gou that they’re practically twins from different mothers. Other than being an infuriatingly powerful force in Rin’s life when they team-up (and they **always**  team up against him), Nagisa also has taken to coming to the Matsuoka Household unannounced. All the time._

_Especially when Rin least expects it._

_Like right now. They’ve seen each other this morning, during lunch with the rest of the Iwatobi boys. Nagisa didn’t show any signs of wanting to come over, didn’t say anything when Rin and Gou said goodbye. Gou didn’t ask him to come over either. They separated with the clear intention of going home to their own houses._

_“Why the hell are you here?” Rin asked, hiding his surprise by growling and baring his teeth in a threatening manner. His tone and his teeth lacked the scary factor though, given how his hands were still tangled on Gou’s hair. She was sitting with her back to him, in between his outstretched legs, laughing gleefully at his reaction. “Gou…” He groaned, annoyed at being seen like this._

_Nagisa’s eyes were wide like Christmas came early. “Are you **braiding** Gou-chan’s hair?” He asked, loud and overly excited, as if the whole concept of Rin doing something like this was a miracle. Or a good blackmail material, probably._

 

_“Shut up.” Rin snapped at him, glaring at the hair in his hands. He focused back on it though, gently weaving it together. Because this might be embarrassing, but this was his moment with his sister and no one is allowed to ruin it. Also, he’s a perfectionist at heart so._

_“Can I join?” Nagisa walked inside the room like it was his own and plopped in front of Gou, facing them. “I wanna tie Rin-chan’s hair up.” He said, strangely determined._

_Gou made a small nodding motion, careful not to disturb Rin’s work. “That would be good. It suits nii-chan, right?” She asked, smiling. “Let Nagi-kun do your hair, nii-chan!”_

_Nagisa looked at Rin with those beseeching eyes of his. “I’ll be gentle?”_

_Rin was 100% sure he wanted to refuse. He should refuse. He should kick Nagisa out of the house, actually. But then Nagisa cranked up the puppy eyes to 100% and Gou moved her head just enough to eye Rin pleadingly. Evil Duo. He sighed. “…fine.”_

_“Yay!” Nagisa exclaimed, raising both hands and high-fiving Gou._

_“No one would know about this, okay?” Rin said, voice dangerously low._

_Nagisa grinned wide, placing his hand on his chest above his heart. “I swear on all things scary and divine.”_

_Rin rolled his eyes, while Gou giggled and prodded Nagisa’s hip with her foot. “Sit behind nii-chan.” She said, voice so full of happiness that Rin felt warm all over._

_He did as he was told, slotting himself behind Rin with an ease that shouts familiarity and practice. Of course he’s like this. He’s a clinger, after all. He and Rin both._

_After that, it was a peaceful silence as Rin continued perfecting Gou’s braid, and as Nagisa gently combed his hands on Rin’s hair. It was nice, comfortable, like a cozy blanket during a rainy afternoon._

_And yeah, he was still scared of Nagisa’s unholy alliance with his sister, but if **this** was what he would get for that, he’d take it. He won’t admit it to their faces but he’d accept this. He would love to spend more time with them like this._


	69. de-aged rin [harurin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A magical mushroom turns Rin back to his 9-year-old self.
> 
> (Where did the mushroom come from? Nagisa. How did he find it? Don’t ask Nagisa questions.)

_“You look familiar.” Rin narrowed his eyes at Haruka suspiciously. He leaned forward until he was a mere inches away from the older boy. “You look like Nanase, that guy from Iwatobi.” Haruka kept his mouth shut and looked away, eyes shifty._

_“Uh!” Makoto crouched down beside him, placing a light hand on his arm. “This is Haru…to. He’s Nanase Haruka’s older cousin.”_

_Rin looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” He asked. He threw one last glance at Haruka before focusing on Makoto. “And why did you bring me here, again?” He asked with a frown. “That guy,” he pointed towards Rei, “kept telling that blondie that it’s all his fault. What did blondie do?”_

_Nagisa snickered and shook his head. “That’s not the way to speak to elders, Rin-chan.”_

 

_“You look like a kid, anyway.” He shot back, sticking out his tongue. “Shorty~!”_

_“Even at this age, he’s not cute at all.” Rei muttered, earning him a glare from both Haruka and Rin. “What?”_

_“Well, you’re not cute either!” Rin exclaimed just as Haruka said “He’s cute.” Upon hearing that, Rin’s eyes widened and his cheeks turned red. He gaped at Haruka for a few seconds before shaking himself out of it. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty cute. You’re right.” He nodded sagely, smiling a small private smile towards Haruka. “You’re cute too, kinda too much like Nanase.”  
_

_Nagisa smiled mischievously, ignoring Rei’s indignant outbursts at his side. “So you think Haru-chan is cute?”_

_Rin just nodded easily, laughing a bit. “Isn’t he? Not the smiley-type but he’s got a cute face, and not to mention he’s a great swimmer.”_

_“You’ve noticed him even if he’s from another school?” Makoto asked, looking curious now._

_“Yeah.” Rin shrugged. “He’s fast.” He grinned. “He won against me last month. It was great. I felt all energized.” He scratched his cheek and looked down as if thinking deeply. “But he doesn’t look all that happy when he wins. It kinda makes you want to-”_

_Rei looked like he understood exactly what Rin was saying. He nodded and said “You end up wanting to make him smile.”_

_Rin looked up at him like he was considering whether he should grace the guy with a reply. “I guess that’s it.” He said, sighing. “It’s not that- It’s creepy if you think about it too much though, isn’t it?” He had that soft smile on his face that the other three remembered from their elementary days and that Rei has seen in the photographs._

_Nagisa sat down in front of him then, eyes shining in glee. “It’s not creepy at all! That’s really sweet, Rin-chan!” He exclaimed. “You should do that! You should make him smile!”_

_Blinking in surprise, Rin nodded slowly. “Uh… sure?”_

_“So, what, you have a crush on Nanase Haruka?” Rei asked, as if he was summarizing this whole conversation._

_Rin’s whole face burned red immediately. “O-oi! It’s- That’s not-”_

_“Aw, you won’t say something like ‘I’ll marry him when I grow up!’ ?” Nagisa asked in disappointment._

_“I’m not going to say something stupid like that!” Rin yelled, looking very much like a child throwing a tantrum. “We’re not even friends yet.”_

_“So you’ve thought about it!” Nagisa exclaimed happily, clapping his hands. “Awww…”_

_“Shut up!” Rin stomped his feet on the floor. “I didn’t say that!”_

_Haruka, smiling by now as he watched them, tapped Rin’s shoulder and waited for him to turn his way. “You should talk to him. He’ll be glad to be your friend.” At his side, Makoto tried to suppress a giggle._

_“Really?” Rin looked so hopeful and brimming with joy at the idea that everyone in the room ended up nodding in agreement. “I’ll talk to him in the next meet!” He said, smiling widely._

_…And then, just like that, in a sudden poof of smoke, 9 years old Rin was gone and in his place was the present day Rin._

_He blinked in confusion. “What the hell did you do, Nagisa?!”_

_The younger boy immediately flinched away and pouted. “I already miss the younger one.” He complained. “Should I search for more of those mushrooms?”_

_“Yes” came Makoto and Haruka’s reply. Rei was shaking his head repeatedly._

_Haruka sighed and glanced at Rin with a bored expression. “So you wanted to marry me when you were younger huh?” He asked without any change in tone or expression. His eyes had that glint though, the one that always comes out in regards to teasing Rin._

_Makoto did giggle then, not being able to stop himself any longer. “Even before going to Iwatobi too!”_

_“What the hell?” Rin glared at all of them. “What are you talking about?” he asked, looking around._

_The other four just laughed and refused to answer the question._


	70. what if sousuke meets ran and ren [soumako]

Makoto stared wide-eyed at the empty bench where Ran and Ren should be. They should be  _there_. He specifically told them to wait. He told them to stay where they are while he gets them their ice creams.

Oh god.  _Oh god_  his siblings are missing.

His sibling might have been  _kidnapped_.

He looked around, eyes roving the park for any sign of the twins. They aren’t in the playground. They aren’t by the balloon-selling guy. They aren’t at the water fountain. Where else could they be?

“Makoto-kun,” Turning around, he caught glimpse of their neighbor, an elderly woman who loves taking care of his siblings. He felt hope edging inside his bubble of panic. She walked over to him with a motherly smile on her face. “Are you looking for the little kids?” He immediately nodded. She pointed towards the back. “Your handsome friend is watching them. They’re right by the stage.” She laughed and patted him on the back. “He’s a really nice young man.”

—-

The first thing he saw when he walked over to the venue was a stage and a familiar mask-wearing character. “Oh.” His eyes widened as he realized who it was. “Super Fusion Doppelganger” He said in awe. He walked forward, dazed and a little bit confused as to why the character was having a show here. It was a famous show when they were kids, and as far as Makoto knows, it hasn’t been replayed on TV.

The next thing he saw was his siblings happily jumping around to the beat of the background song, shouting out encouragements to the hero as he fights the villain. A small smile appeared on his face. He was just like that before.

It took a few seconds before he realized who was standing behind the twins. When he heard it was “his handsome friend”, he assumed it might be Rin, since their neighbor knows him and he knows the twins. (If it was Haru, she would have said his name.) He did not expect the scowling captain of Samezuka. He looked… out of place. His infamous glare was set on the stage, his eyebrows quirked together as if he was annoyed to be here.

Why was he here…? Did the twins somehow rope him into watching over them…? Oh wait, that doesn’t make any sense. They don’t even know him.

He decided to walk over to get his answers. “Ran, Ren.”

The twins froze mid-high-five and slowly turned towards him. Ren bit his lower lip in fear. Ran had wide, shifty eyes, like she was thinking of a way out or a probable excuse. Surprisingly, Sousuke was  _also_  looking like a dear caught in the headlights. There was an unmistakable intake of breath at his side. Like a mini aborted gasp. Hmmm.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay there?” His smile was kind and gentle, because he really didn’t want Ren to be scared of him. Besides, it was his fault for leaving them alone.

“But Rin-” Ren exclaimed, but was cut off when Ran slapped a hand on his mouth to cover it. “Mmmffff!”

Ran glared at him, effectively making him quiet. “We’re sorry!” She bowed down and pointed to the stage. “We wanted to see Doppelganger. You like him, don’t you?”

Makoto sighed, knowing he can’t pry it out of his siblings without scolding them harshly. He’s… pretty bad with being strict when it comes to them. They’re his kryptonite. Luckily! Someone’s here to satisfy his curiosity. He looked up to the taller boy and smiled his not-so-innocent gentle smile. (There are variations. Nagisa counted them.) “Yamazaki-kun?”

Sousuke gulped audibly and looked at him. He visibly tried to calm down as he asked “I was just asked to stay with your siblings. Rin was-“

“Sou-chan!” Ran crossed her arms and glared at him. “No!”

He looked torn as he looked at her then at Makoto. “I brought them here.  _Alone_.” He pointedly raised one eyebrow, like a silent ~Rin-was-here~ signal. Then he looked hopefully at Ran as if asking for approval. It was… weird.

Ran smiled widely and nodded. “Yes! Sou-chan brought us here!” She patted his arm proudly and Sousuke looked conflicted for a moment. But Makoto saw that split second fond smile. Oh no. Ran got another one. Rin’s already wrapped around Ran’s little finger, like how everyone else is. (Haru liked Ren more, though. It’s something Ran hates more than anything.)

“Thanks for staying with them.” Makoto said gratefully. Then, looking over to the stage, he asked “But why are you here?” There was a silent ‘why was Rin here?’ question implied in his tone.

Sousuke shrugged, but it was a jerky type of movement. Like he was acting way too casual. “We-” He looked down and saw Ran pinching his arm. There was that there-and-gone half-smile again. “ _I_  was jogging around here and saw the twins. I remembered them from the pictures in your wallet.” His face turned red for a moment as he realized what he just said. “Nagisa-kun was showing it off.” He added.

He smiled, patting Ren and Ran’s heads and sitting down on the bench beside them. Sousuke seemed to relax, sitting beside him as well. “Then, you’re not here for Doppelganger?” He asked, smirking playfully. He vaguely remembered Rin being a fan too, so it’s not a stretch that his best friend was too.

“No!” Sousuke exclaimed, much too loud and quick to be true.

Makoto laughed quietly, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he watches Sousuke’s face in amusement. “If you say so.”

Ren tugged at Makoto’s sleeves, moving to his other side away from Sousuke. “He was humming the song before Doppelganger appeared.” He whispered, eyes darting nervously at Sousuke.

Sousuke narrowed his eyes at Ren. Ran lightly hit Sousuke’s arm, pushing on him so she could sit on the space on his other side. “Don’t bully my brother” she said prissily. “And you said you’d show me the  _right_ transformation if we behave.” she added, as if it was nothing.

That made Makoto laugh even more. “Oh wow.” He said between huffs of breath. “ _That’s_  why you look so angry!”

“What?!”

“You know they’re doing it wrong!” Makoto exclaimed happily. He crossed his arms and looked to the side dramatically and intoned in his imitation voice “ _Super Fusion Doppelganger!”_  He slashed his hands down in the final pose, complete with his head whipping to the other side.

Ran and Ren clapped enthusiastically, and some kids in front of them watched in admiration too. Some women hid their smiles behind their hands. Makoto smiled bashfully, bowing his head repeatedly as he apologized for the noise.

When he looked back, Sousuke was staring at him, face devoid of his usual frown. He was just… staring. “That was great.” He said, at last. “You’re better than the stage guy.” He said, then threw a glare towards the said stage guy.

Makoto laughed some more, extremely amused at this turn of events. “So you like it?”

“Yeah.” He nodded a bit shyly. He didn’t look Makoto in the face as he explained. “It was really cool.”

Ran elbowed him playfully, grinning up at him. “You like my brother?” She asked, ever the troublemaker. (God forbid she and Nagisa gets to be friends someday. Just. No.)

Sousuke flushed, forehead creasing in that familiar way. “I  _meant_  I like the Doppelganger show.”

She just hummed, still smiling. “Okay.” She said, sticking out her tongue at him after a moment. That almost made Sousuke laugh, it was obvious. (Makoto was pretty proud of Ran’s skills.) Ren, on the other hand, whispered not-so-quietly “I think he likes you.” His eyes were sincere and completely honest. “He turned red when uh… when someone told him that you’re in this park.”

Sousuke turned redder and turned to glare at Ren, making the younger boy squeak and hide behind Makoto. Ran just elbowed him and chastised “You can’t get angry for people saying the truth.”

Makoto just grinned wider and laughed some more at Sousuke’s expression.  ~~He kinda likes Sousuke too, anyway.~~


	71. what if sou works at a supermarket [soumako]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sequel-ish to the previous chapter

Sousuke just wanted money to buy new books without having to ask his parents for more allowance. (It’s bad enough he wanted to transfer during his last year in High School. He can’t be selfish again.) Working at the Super was a great idea at the time. It paid good enough and his shift was right after his training. It was also a good distance from Samezuka; near enough to be in his jogging route and far enough to not be pestered by his classmate.

It was a really good idea.

Until he found out it was in the border of Sano and Iwatobi. And he was literally a block away from Nagisa Hazuki’s house.

He immediately regretted all the choices that brought him to that specific Super.

“Taste test! Get some yummy hotdog here!” He stood there, at the back by the side of the fresh meat section. He had a small stall, complete with a tacky mascot standee. Why he was placed here, he doesn’t know. He personally thought it was a ploy. His supervisor literally asked him to say “I’ve got fresh hot meat here!” He wondered briefly if that’s considered exploitation. (Hey, of course he knows how objectively hot he is. Being Gou’s friend opens your mind to a lot of thing.)

“Oooh.”

Oh no. Here it is.

“ _Yummy_  hotdog!”

“Nagisa, shut up.” Sousuke looked at the side where Nagisa was skipping towards him. He was wearing a baby blue t-shirt and black shorts, casual enough that it was obvious he came from home. His sisters weren’t anywhere to be seen. Sousuke sighed in relief. He can only handle one Hazuki at a time.

The younger boy smiled and tilted his head to the right. “You’ll offer me one, right?” He pointed to the pile. “And since I’m your friend…”

Sousuke narrowed his eyes. “Just one.”

“But!” Nagisa pouted. “I’m your  _friend_!”

“I don’t remember being your friend.” Sousuke easily said, shrugging. His eyebrow raised challengingly as he waited for the other boy’s response.

He gasped. “I’m  _not_ your friend?!”

Sousuke shrugged again, seeing as a non-answer was the best choice there is.

Before Nagisa could do another dramatic reply, a familiar person walked off the nearest aisle and saw them. Makoto Tachibana with his siblings. Wow. Why did Sousuke ever think working here was a good idea? On top of a Nagisa who wants to make his life harder, he has to face his non-crush on the Iwatobi Captain too? (It’s a  _non-crush_ , shut up Rin.) He can’t even handle his non-crush on a normal Joint Practice!

On impulse, his eyebrows furrowed together and he looked at the incomer sharply.

Makoto immediately looked nervous, smile turning uneasy. The two kids looked up at him; Ran with her wide smile and Ren with his shy one. They were adorable. Okay, so he might like Ran and Ren a lot. Rin rubs off on people, okay? He rants about how the twins are the cutest kids ever all the time. Sousuke was bound to have a soft spot for them.

He focused his gaze on the two and let himself relax minutely.

“Huh.” Nagisa was staring at him with a large ‘Aha! I got you!’ expression. His eyes were shining mischievously. “So that’s it?” He asked. He looked ready to somersault in glee.

“What.” Sousuke glared at him, inwardly worried about whatever Nagisa discovered. (Not the non-crush please  _anything but the non-crush_ )

Nagisa just smiled wider. “You really like the Tachibana…” He let that hang for a second, just enough to make Sousuke gulp in nervously. “You like the Tachibana Twins, don’t you?” He finished with a mock-innocent smile. It was obvious how much he knew though. Oh god. Sousuke is so screwed.

“You can have two.” Sousuke put two hotdogs on Nagisa’s waiting hands grudgingly. “Have at it. I don’t even care.” He sighed. It’s a  _non-crush_ , okay? He’s just giving Nagisa a… reward for being… a friendly guy… yeah. This is not in any way a bribe to hide a freaking non-crush.

“Just two?” Nagisa asked in disbelief. He shook his head and stepped back before pointedly waving a hand at Makoto and the twins. “Mako-chan! Ren-kun! Ran-chan!” He motioned for the to get closer. The glint in his eyes never faltered. (Demon spawn.) “Did you come here to buy snacks?” He asked.

Ran nodded excitedly. “Papa said we could help out as long as we don’t ask for anything more.” She said proudly.

“Uwah~” Nagisa crouched down and patted her on the head. “That must mean you’re a good girl.” He said sincerely. He looked back at Sousuke for a moment before bringing his attention back to the little girl. “Have you met Sou-chan?”

Nodding, Ran smiled and waved a hand at Sousuke. “He helped us out before.”

“He works here.” Nagisa informed her in a stage whisper, like it was a grand secret.

Her eyes widened. “Oh yes!” She pointed at the hotdog stand. “You give free food to people walking around!” She giggled. “That’s why nii-chan said you don’t look happy enough to call on customers.” She giggled some more, hiding her laughter behind her hands.

Sousuke blushed. “I-”

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Makoto immediately stepped in, looking panicked. “I was- I meant-”

“You’re right, it’s okay.” Sousuke shrugged it off as if it was nothing. He knew how his resting face looks like. And he does get annoyed at the older women talking about him in passing, so it’s usually bad.

Makoto shook his head. “No, it’s not.” He offered a small smile. “You’re working part-time despite being tired. I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Nagisa coughed loudly and it sounded like “frowning resting face” but Sousuke let it slide. He was too busy gaping at the angel that was Tachibana Makoto. Why is he so nice? Clearing his throat, Sousuke tried to smile. “Thanks.”

A warmer expression appeared on Makoto’s face. “You come here directly after training?”

“Yeah,” Sousuke nodded, willing his face to look normal (uh, smiley-normal) and willing the warmth in his cheeks to disappear. “I jog to here.”

Makoto blinked. “So you don’t get to eat in the cafeteria then?”

Oh. Makoto was Rin’s textmate, so of course he knows all about the dorms. They go to Samezuka for training a lot of times too, and sometimes they end up late. Sousuke’s been underestimating how much the Iwatobi people knows about them. (Not that it matters. It’s just  _weird_  to have him ask this  _worriedly_  like he cares a lot if Sousuke was eating dinner properly. It’s not- It’s just bad for Sousuke’s heart.)

“I bring back some bread leftovers.” He explained after too long a pause. “It’s handled properly. I’m an athlete, after all. My health is important.”

Makoto nodded. “That’s… that’s good.” He said. “You should eat well.”

At their side, Nagisa made a noise of irritation. “ _Why_  am I watching this?” He asked to himself, looking skywards as if asking for divine intervention. He rolled his eyes and stood up to face Sousuke. “When’s your day off?”

“Weekends.” Sousuke answered, confusion heavy in his voice.

“So, this Saturday, you could use your money from this wonderful job of yours to treat Mako-chan to a nice, well needed break, yes?”

“What-”

“And  _Mako-chan_ ,” Nagisa ignored him in favor of looking at Makoto. “Why are you acting clueless?”

To Sousuke’s surprise, Makoto laughed. He  _laughed_. “I didn’t want to spook him.”

“Spook-” Sousuke blinked repeatedly. It was getting more confusing. “What are you saying?”

“Yamazaki-kun,” Makoto was biting his lip, amusement clear in his face. “Would you like to eat out on Saturday?”

Sousuke gaped. Just. Gaped. “…Eat out? You? With me?”

Nagisa groaned. “It’s almost adorable if you destroy his disastrous eyebrows.”

“Sshhh” Ran tugged at Nagisa’s arm, silencing him. She looked on in clear fascination, possibly waiting for Sousuke’s reply. Ren also had an identical expression by her side. It was unnerving.

“I mean-” Sousuke tried to keep his cool. “Sure? If- if you want to.”

“Just to be clear, I’m asking for a date.” Makoto said softly, gently, like he really didn’t want to shock Sousuke. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah!” Sousuke nodded too fast and replied to loudly. Ugh. “Yeah,” he repeated in a calmer voice. “Date. Yes.”

Ran, Ren and Nagisa were giggling at the side now.

Sousuke was too busy panicking to react to their laughter.

Makoto smiled widely and nodded once. “Thanks. I’ll text you.” He took his siblings’ hands and said, “We’re gonna have to finish shopping first. See you.” He walked away without waiting for a reply.

“Ahhh…” Sousuke’s mind was dead. Offline. Can’t compute.

“See?” Nagisa said, poking him on the ribs. “I’m your  _supportive friend_.”

“Yeah…” He took another hotdog and piled it on Nagisa’s small paper plate. “You’re awesome.”

(In the distant corners of his brain, Rin’s voice shouted “ _Non-crush my ass._ ” It sounded extremely smug.)


	72. what if sou was sick [soumako]

Makoto should not be this worried. He really, really shouldn’t, right? Sousuke stays in the dorms. He has Rin and Nitori to stay with him and take care of him. They can handle it just fine. He should not be worried.

But last year, when Rin was sick, Nitori cried so much and called Makoto to ask him what he should do. And when Nitori was sick, Rin gave him too much attention that he almost died under all those blankets.

He  _is_ worried, whether he likes it or not.

—

“I’m pretty offended you don’t think I can take care of him.” Rin said, eyebrow raised in a judging manner.  He waved his hand towards where Sousuke was under a few blankets. There were medicine packs on the side table and there was soup and water. It was a good set-up.

Still. Makoto has always been the mothering type. He can’t help but worry. He wants to be here. Besides, Haruka was  _pouting_  earlier. It was ridiculous(ly adorable). “You should go to the pools. Practice will start soon.”

“I can’t leave him alone here.” Rin said with a frown. He was a worrier too, and he loved his best friend a lot. Of course he would not want to go.

“I’ll take care of him.” Makoto explained, sitting down by the side of Sousuke’s bed. “You go practice with Haru. He would hate it if he went here only to see that you’re not there to race him.”

Rin’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “But you’re the Iwatobi captain. You’re supposed to be there.”

Makoto shook his head and glanced at the shivering boy on the bed. “Your captain’s here too.” He remarked. Then, he gave Rin a proud smile as he added, “Nagisa’s in charge right now. It’s good practice.”

“What-” Rin’s reaction was to stare at him with wide horror-filled eyes. “Isn’t that the worse idea you’ve ever had? And I say this with the knowledge that you once practice  _in the fucking sea._ ” His whole expression was just a perfect mixture of shock and apprehension.

He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Nagisa  _and_ Rei are in charge. They’ll do fine.”

“I really doubt that.” Rin said, but he packed his things up so Makoto counts that as a win.

—

Sousuke woke up thirty minutes after Rin went to practice. Five minutes after Nagisa sent a “Rin-chan and Haru-chan are racing  _again_ ” message. And two minutes after Nitori called to ask him how Sousuke was doing.

“Tachibana?” His eyes were droopier than normal and that should really not be as cute as Makoto thinks it is. He sniffed and closed his eyes, forehead creasing. Headache, probably. “Why are you here?”

“There’s a Swim Practice.” He said simply. “I told Rin-chan to practice with Haru-chan.”

“Good choice.” He murmured, looking much too tired to raise his voice. He groaned as he tried to sit up, hands stretching towards the water bottle. Makoto immediately took it to offer the bottle to him. “Rin’s tiring when he’s worried.”

Makoto smiled, knowing exactly how that looks. “He can be a bit…”

“Annoying?” Sousuke supplied, offering a small tired smirk. It doesn’t really reach his eyes because of how dizzy he looked. Sweat trickled at the side of his head. He looked like he would drop back down to sleep any minute now.

“Extreme was the word I was looking for.” Makoto said, laughing quietly. “He’s just worried.” He glanced at his phone and smiled as he saw that Nagisa sent him a picture message with the whole team.

Sousuke drank from his bottle quietly, moaning in pain when he went back to his lying position. “But why are  _you_  here?” He asked. Not accusatory, just curious.

Makoto blinked. “I can’t leave you alone while sick.” He said matter of factly.

“I’ll live.” Sousuke said, sounding garbled because of his clogged nose. “It’s bad enough that I’m not there for practice.” His voice had a lilt to it that showed how pissed he was with himself. It brought a frown to Makoto’s face.

Taking the wet cloth from the basin at the side, Makoto busied his hands as he asked, “Do you think anyone would be angry at you for getting sick?”

Sousuke nodded slowly, careful not to shake his head too much and trigger another headache. “It was my fault I got sick. Didn’t take care enough.”

Makoto sighed and placed the wet cloth on his head. “I don’t understand how you can say that.” He frowned. “It’s a season when people normally get sick.” After securing the cloth on his forehead, he crossed his arms and stared down at him disapprovingly. “You work too hard because you love your team.”

Sousuke closed his eyes and made a disagreeing noise from the back of his throat. Some sort of irritated groan. “Won’t work for me.” He said, slow and quiet. “Should have planned better.”

“Won’t work?”

“Your charm.” Sousuke said as if that was clear from the start. “Won’t work. I know it’s my fault.”

“I’m not-” Makoto blinked at him, confused. Then he recomposed himself. “It isn’t your fault.” He insisted firmly. “Now go to sleep.” He said, tugging at the blanket for it to reach his neck. “You need the rest.”

Sousuke nodded, moving his body around as if to find a perfect position. He wiggled until he was closer to the wall with his hands on top of the blankets. “Your charm works though.” He murmured, already half asleep. “Most of the time…” His voice came out softer as his breathing evened out. “So damn distracting…”

Makoto chuckled with amusement dancing in his eyes. He patted the wet cloth gently. “I’ll use it to make sure you don’t wear yourself down again, then.” He whispered.


	73. what if sou meets mako's dad [soumako]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to the supermarket what if

The notebook was just lying there on the low table in the lobby beside the vending machine. Rin and Sousuke sat side by side on the bench, staring at it. A school notebook. [Tachibana Makoto] clearly written in front.

“I could ask Gou to give it back.” Rin shrugged, glancing at Sousuke.

Sousuke frowned and stared some more as if that would help him decide. After a few more seconds, he nodded to himself and brought his gaze back to Rin. “I’ll go.” He said with determination. “Now.”

“That is a really stupid plan.” Rin said bluntly.

—-

It was a really stupid plan.

A  _really stupid_ plan. Sousuke hates it when Rin is right.

“Uh,” He stood there on their doorsteps like a deer caught in headlights. He was prepared to thrust the notebook at Makoto’s face and run away. Or maybe wait for his thank you and say hi to the twins. He was mentally prepared to see them.

He wasn’t prepared to see Makoto’s dad opening the door with a quizzical expression. “Yes? How may I help you?”

“I- is Tachi- Ah, Makoto here?” He asked, flushing a bit in embarrassment. He was only starting to get a proper hold of his feelings for the boy. (Apparently, he can only say ‘non-crush’ a few times until it loses its credibility.) He can’t possibly handle talking to the  _father_  of the one he’s crushing on. “He left something at-“

“Sou-chan!” Ran squeezed at her father’s side and glomped his legs. “Are you visiting?”

“Uh, I was just-”

“Come in. Makoto’s just went out to buy something.” Tachibana Papa said, smiling that gentle smile as he opens the door wider. “You should wait for him. We have tea.”

“Ah- but-” Sousuke tried to think of any excuse to go. He’s usually smoother at lies but he’s coming up blank. (The little annoying voice inside his head is reprimanding him for even thinking of lying to his father-in-law-to-be. Stupid delusional voice, damnit.)

“You’re not staying?” Ran cranked up the puppy eyes to 100% and tugged at his sleeves. “But Nii-chan would love to see you.”

He ends up going inside.

—-

After a whole thirty minutes of casual questions from the Tachibana father (“Oh you’re the captain of the Rival school? Thank you for taking care of my son.” “Are you planning to swim in college too?” “Do you have a girlfriend? Makoto doesn’t have one.”) and Ran coaxing him to play with her, Makoto finally arrived.

The three stood up when Makoto and Ren walked in the living room. “Oh, Yamazaki-kun!” Makoto exclaimed, surprise clear in his tone.

“Ah,” Ren looked up with a wide-eyed expression. “Nii-chan’s boyfriend.”

Sousuke just about died. He’s  _dead._  The ground needs to open up  _right now_  to swallow him up, because he cannot handle this. Nope. “I’m-“

“So I was right!” Tachibana Papa looked pleased with himself. “Now, now, you shouldn’t have hidden it from me. I knew Makoto had a boyfriend he hasn’t been introducing to us.”

_Oh my god._

“Dad!” Makoto’s whole face was red as he snatched Sousuke’s hand and pulled him towards the stairs. That… was not the right action, wasn’t it? Shouldn’t they go outside? Is this admission? Is Sousuke Makoto’s boyfriend? Or something?

Sousuke feels really dizzy right now. (But also definitely,  _definitely_ ecstatic. Holy god Makoto did  _not_ deny anything.)

“Keep your door open!” His father was laughing pleasantly as he watched them go.


	74. what if sou can sing but is embarrassed about it [soumako]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> google sousuke's seiyuu and then come back here

It was not Makoto’s fault. To be honest, it was Haru’s. Not that Makoto would ever blame him or admit it, but still. It was Haruka’s fault. If he did not go missing after practice, Makoto would not have a need to check the shower room again. The  _supposedly_ empty shower room.

“♫  _Why do birds suddenly appear?_

 _Every time, you are near_  ♫”

Except, of course, it was not. There was a deep, beautiful voice coming from one of the stalls, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of water on the tiles. Light steam wafted around. The voice was velvety smooth and the atmosphere of the shower room, dark and foggy, made the whole thing even more beautiful.

He was immediately curious.

He didn’t want to startle them, and he especially did not want the person to stop. He wanted to hear more. It was a nice voice. Something that made you feel like you’re standing under the stars with a light breeze billowing around you.

“♫ _Just like me, they long to be…_

 _Close to you._  ♫”

He wonders briefly who it is. It’s definitely not Rin. His voice is low and rough, suited for the type of song he likes. He can’t imagine Nitori having this kind of singing voice. The first years performed in the Cultural Festival when they did the Maid’s Cafe, and they all had squeaky voices. Nitori’s batch mates once sang for Mikoshiba’s graduation party, and it was… There wasn’t any voice like this there either.

That leaves one person.

“♫ _On the day that you were born the angels got together_

_And decided to create a dream come true_

_So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair_

_Of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue_  ♫”

Makoto can actually imagine him. Yamazaki Sousuke, all long muscular limbs and broad shoulders, taking a shower and crooning to himself. It was a really…  ~~enticing~~  fascinating image.

“♫  _That is why_

_All the girls in town_

_Follow you_

_All around_

_Just like me, they long to be_

_Close to you_ _♫”_

After that verse, only humming sounds could be heard inside. Makoto was conflicted on what to do. Would he wait here? (What would he even say? “I like your voice”?) Would he pretend to only arrive? Or-

His cellphone made the decision for him. It vibrated. A message from his team mates. [ **Found Haru-chan! We’re at the gate! Where are you?** ]

He sighed. Maybe he will tell Sousuke next time.

—

But the thing is, Sousuke  _never_ sang. He refused to sing during Karaoke nights. He refused to join in when Nagisa suddenly bursts into song. He did not ever use that singing voice of his around the other students.

Makoto thought it was a waste of talent.

—

“Yamazaki-kun, what’s your favorite song?” He asked, trying for casual and coming up short instead. His smile was pretty twitchy and his eyes were just a little bit too wide.

Sousuke looked at him with a raised eyebrow, lips shut tight. He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t really… sing.” He answered slowly, suspiciously.

“Really?” Makoto prodded, shuffling closer on the ground to be able to interrogate him easier. “But your speaking voice is nice. You must have a beautiful voice.” Does he sound like he’s too curious? He’s trying not to, but it’s really hard. Sousuke’s eyes are scary and too-clear like Haruka’s all-knowing ones.

“Hm,” Sousuke shrugged. “I-” He looked away, bringing his attention to the next round of swimmers on the starting point. Was that a diversion tactic or was he just being bored by Makoto? “I don’t think so.” He said quietly. “Singing in public seems ridiculous.”

“But-” Makoto frowned. “Really?” He asked again. “It’s just- It seems like a waste to not sing when you have such a beautiful-” Sousuke’s eyes suddenly zoomed in on him, gaze sharp and wary. He sighed dramatically. “Nothing.” He said, forcing himself to pout. “You just never sing with us. I figured it must be because you don’t like hanging out with us.” It’s a backhanded move, but it wasn’t an outright lie either. It’s good, right?

Sousuke groaned in frustration, looking down now. “I- I don’t-” He groaned again while messing his hair. “Singing is embarrassing, okay?” He said, voice a hushed but angry whisper. “I don’t really have a voice I want to boast about.”

Makoto stared at him, wide-eyed in confusion. No use hiding it, then? “But you’re good.” He said earnestly. “I heard you in the shower room.”

“You heard-  _what?_ ”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but your voice is really beautiful.” He continued, staring right at Sousuke to convey his sincerity. “I wanted to ask if you could sing more.

Sousuke’s face was flushed when he said “That’s-” He shook his head. “No, I can’t. In front of people, I can’t.”

Makoto sighed dejectedly.

“You could-” Sousuke wasn’t looking at him anymore. “You could shower with-” He stopped, cheeks turning redder. “I mean! You could wait and shower  _in the stall next to me_ … or something.” The last bit was barely a mumbled sentence. He looked so embarrassed, unlike the composed captain of the team. “Singing… lets me relax after.”

With a smile, Makoto couldn’t help but nod. “I’d like that.”

—

“♫  _You’re the one I wanna chase_  
 _You’re the one I wanna hold_  
 _I won’t let another minute go to waste_  
 _I want you and your beautiful soul_  ♫”

Sousuke sang  _Beautiful Soul_ with a soft, reverent tone.  ~~Makoto pretended not to know who it was for, smiling encouragingly when they met up outside the shower room. He’s glad to have this for now.~~


	75. olympic swimmer rin sees shippers on tumblr [harurin]

It all started with a tumblr post. Or to be exact, an e-mail from Nagisa containing a link to a tumblr post. Matsuoka Rin was tired from training and he really missed talking to Nagisa. Besides, the younger boy loved googling Rin and Haruka so his links are entertaining most of the time.

He stupidly clicked on the link without a second thought.

 

What. The.  _Hell_.

 

—

“So, you saw the post, huh?” Nagisa’s voice was loud and excited from the other line. There was a distant clacking sound from the keyboard. “I reblogged it. Since it’s  _true._ ”

“Huh?!” Rin just gaped at the screen some more, racking his brain for any explanation. “But- You  _know_  us personally, Nagisa. You know we’re not dating.”

There was silence. Then a sigh. “Really though?” He asked, disbelievingly. “Did you read the tags?”

“We’re not an ‘actual married couple’ either, Nagisa.”

“No?” Nagisa sounded impatient now. “None of what they wrote was false, in a way. I mean, you were caught holding hands while walking in the neighborhood. You hug  _with that expression_  every time you win. You  _live together_.”

“Well, I’m a touchy person!” Rin argued, cheeks going red as he thought about those points. They were just holding hands then because Haru was being slow and there was a sale in the Supermarket. It wasn’t anything romantic. He’s… He doesn’t want to read into things like that. They live together because of necessity, because they train together, because they’re  _friends_. It was just easier to live together.

And yeah, they both might have enough money to move away and live in a better place, but it’s easier to live together, right? If he’s not there, who will cook nutritionally balanced food for Haruka? Who would jog with him in the morning? Who would make him watch TV like a normal person? Who would remind him of birthdays and anniversaries?

It’s platonic. Everything is platonic.

 _Especially the hug._  They’ve been hugging like that since he moved back to Japan. Nothing is wrong with his expression! It’s perfectly normal!  _Perfectly normal_.

He groaned, feeling that painful throb in his heart whenever he thinks too deeply into this. “Nothing is going on, Nagisa.”

“Uh-huh.” Nagisa just nodded. “That’s why he was your plus-one on Gou-chan’s wedding.”

“He’s the only one I could bring!” He exclaimed, exasperated. “I couldn’t find a date!” He didn’t find a date because he didn’t search for one. So what? He’s busy swimming. He can’t possibly bring a random person on his sister’s wedding.

“And how long have you been lying to yourself like that?” Nagisa asked, amusement clear in his tone. “The whole of Japan knows. You can’t possibly be blind to it. People make  _fanvideos_ , Rin-chan.”

Rin pouted. He knew about the fanvideos. He just never clicked on them because seeing himself on screen has always been embarrassing. (Okay. So he clicked one once, and he couldn’t stop blushing for the whole 5 minutes that he refused to do that again. His face when he looks at Haruka is a bit…  _obvious_.) “No matter what anyone says, we’re  _not dating_. I think I’ll be the first one to know if that were the case.”

“When was the last time you went on a date though? Have you  _ever_ been on a date?”

He wanted to splutter in protest, to say he’s been in plenty of dates, but he was never good at lying to the younger boy. He settled on “Maybe I’m waiting for The One.”

That elicited a laugh from Nagisa. “Or maybe you found him and you’re too afraid to ask.”

Silence. Rin can’t possibly respond to that.

Nagisa sighed. “Don’t you want to talk about it to Haru-chan?”

“No.” Rin answered immediately. “Won’t that make things awkward?”

“At least it would clear things up.”

Rin hates it when Nagisa’s ideas make sense.

—

“Are we dating?” Rin asked, eyes trained on the photo in his hands. It was a photo from Gou’s wedding last month. Haruka and Rin were dancing alongside other couples. It was a slow song and Haruka was looking at him as if… well, as if he promised Haruka that they’ll swim after. He doesn’t remember doing that, so he probably did something else. Then again, he actually barely remembers the wedding. Because there are just memories that are so beautiful you repress them.

“Um, no.” Makoto said, laughing. He continued filing the pictures in the photo albums, barely looking at Rin from across the table. “I’m dating someone else?”

Rin scowled at him. “No.” He pointed to the picture. “I mean me and Haru.”

Makoto looked at the photo with a fond smile for a while, as if he was remembering that moment. “You  _could_ be.” He said, purposefully giving Rin an innocent smile. “Dating needs an actual conscious decision.”

Rin thunked his head on the table, groaning in frustration. “I hate this. I hate Nagisa.”

“You really don’t.” Makoto replied simply.

“I hate you too.” Rin added after. He clutched the photo harder.

Makoto just laughed at that.

“I don’t want to make things awkward.” Rin complained. “I live with him!”

“You just have to choose between those things.” Makoto shrugged. “I’ve always thought you were the type to just pull Haru along.  _So pull him along_.”

—

“I’m here to stage an intervention.”

Rin glared at Rei who was standing on their doorsteps. He just got home from pestering Makoto and now he’s got someone to pester him? Damn it. He wanted to sulk in his room and cry in his pillow. Or watch Disney movies until Haruka goes home. (They could cuddle on the couch while watching Tangled. He’s a clingy person, okay? It doesn’t mean  _anything_.)

“Aren’t you going to let me in?” Rei asked, narrowing his eyes. “We need to talk.”

“I talked to Makoto already.” He said, trying hard not to pout and sound like a teenager. “He’s a fountain of knowledge. I’ve had enough of this.”

Rei raised an eyebrow. “So you’ll talk to Haruka-senpai?” He asked challengingly. He crossed his arms as he waited for an answer.

“I’m waiting for the right-”

“Talk to me about what?” Haruka appeared at the side of the road, looking at the two of them with a suspicious expression. “Rei, you should come in. We have tea.” He brought his attention to Rin and frowned. “Why aren’t you letting him in? You said that’s bad manners.”

Years ago, Haruka barely cared about answering the door. Now he’s the one scolding Rin for not offering tea. Life is weird.

“I was just leaving.” Rei said, smirking at Rin. Ugh. He planned this, of course he planned this. “Rin-san wanted to ask you something important, Haruka-senpai. He was just asking for my advice.” He took a step back (away from Rin’s arm or sharp teeth). “Gotta go.” He ran away just like that.

—

Rin fiddled with the plastic bag on the table, the one with his favorite snacks that Haruka bought on his way home. He had simply sent Haruka a message asking him to buy something to eat because he wanted to marathon Disney movies. Anything would have been okay. But Haruka chose his favorites.

Because they’ve lived together long enough, has been friends long enough, to know what their idiosyncrasies are.

It was getting harder to convince himself of how platonic they are.

“So?” Haruka asked, sitting on the chair opposite of him. There was a plate of stir fried meat and vegetables in front of him. A nutritionally balanced meal for the two of them, something that they both took pains to make a recipe for. (Rin can’t even remember the last time Haruka complained about a meal without Mackerel. He still eats the fish more times than strictly normal, but he’s been so into making recipes with Rin that every meal was their own.)

They cook together a lot. They clean the house together too. They train together, go to competitions with each other…  _When_ did they become like this? And why haven’t Rin noticed?

“Rin,” Haruka sounded worried now. “What were you going to ask?”

“If I’m moving away, would you let me?” Oh. Wrong question. He’s always thinking about people leaving him that he gets paranoid a lot. “I mean-”

“If that’s what you want.” Haruka discarded his chopsticks on the side of his plate. He frowned. “Do you want to move out?”

“No, no!” Rin shook his head, eyes wide. “I just-  _Hypothetically_ , if you found someone else… I’d have to move out, right?”

“I won’t.” Haruka shrugged it off, picking up his chopsticks and going back to eating.

“You won’t…?”

“Find someone else.” Haruka said simply.

“Because you’re dating someone right now?” Rin asked, confused.

“Because I wouldn’t want you to move out.” The way he said it was so factual, so sure, that the tacked 'idiot’ at the end was clearly implied. It seemed like it was reason enough for him.

“Haru,” Rin couldn’t possibly stay quiet after that. That was way too much for his fragile feelings. “I don’t think I can stay here.”

Haruka stared at him, a look of hurt flashing in his eyes. “Why?”

“Because I’m in love with you and I don’t want to burden you with that.”

Haruka continued staring at him. The hurt was replaced with a look of utter confusion. “Burden…?” He shook his head. “That’s not-” He looked down at his plate, then back at Rin. “I went to train for the Olympics with you.”

“Uh,” Rin blinked. “What?”

“I stayed in Tokyo with you. I moved in with you. I watch Disney movies with you. I sleep on the couch with you.”

Rin gaped at him. “Wait- Haru, what-”

“I’ve always chosen to be  _with you_.” He said sincerely. “I think it was obvious enough.”

“You mean-” That… sounds logical. Possible. Probable. Haruka feels the same way. He chose to stay with Rin because he felt the same way. How didn’t Rin see this?

“I love you.” Haruka nodded easily then shoveled food into his mouth gain, as if that was the end of that discussion.

Rin let out a hysterical laugh. “Oh god, this is the most unromantic confession of all times.”  _But he won’t exchange it for anything else in this world._


	76. cop stripper rin [makorin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i joined together the stripper cop fics into one giant mess, enjoy

_“Officer, was there-” Makoto stopped in front of the policeman, eyes wide. “Was there anyone suspicious who got-”_  
  
_The policeman raised both hands, shaking his head. “I’m not-”_  
  
_“Ah! There he is!”_ _Makoto cut him off when he saw the coat-wearing man he saw inside earlier when he first went inside. He looked way too suspicious. And when he heard Makoto’s voice, he ran off immediately._ _Definitely guilty. “Catch him, Mr. policeman!”_

_The policeman took one slack-jawed look at him but immediately went into action. He ran after the said man and tackled him to the ground. He effectively pinned him with his arms on his back. It was impressive.  
_

  
_“Thank you!” Makoto said upon catching up. “But, uh, don’t you have a handcuff?” He stared at his uniform and the gear at his side. There was only a baton and a flashlight there._

  
_“I’m-” He was shaking his head again, looking pointedly at the man under him as he struggled._  
  
_Makoto nodded, knowing there were things more important to think about than the state of the police force. “I’m sure you have to take him to the police station and-”_  
  
_The cop made an annoyed voice from behind his throat. “I’m not a cop.”_   _He gritted out, hand tightening on the guy’s arm._  
  
_“Huh?” Makoto stared at him in confusion._  
  
_His whole face turned red. In an embarrassed whisper, he said, “I’m- I’m a stripper.” He pushed the arsonist back when he did another futile struggle. He might not be a cop but he’s strong. He cleared his throat. “Can you call the cops?”_  
  
_“Oh,” Makoto blinked for a second before nodding. “Ah wow. Okay._ ” _He took out his phone to call the cops._

_A few minutes later, cops arrived to take the arsonist away. Makoto stood awkwardly at the side. He took a deep breath and walked over to the stripper. “I’m- uh, I’m really sorry.” He said, face flushed. “And thank you.”_

_“That was nothing.” He shrugged, laughing a bit. “It was fun.”_

_“No, no.” Makoto shook his head. “Let me-” He took another deep breath, releasing it in one long exhale. “Let me make it up to you.”_

_To this, his amused smile turned sly. Sexy. Oh god. His eyes turned sharp and much too knowing. “Oh.” He said, stepping closer and taking the notepad from his pocket. He ripped out one page and wrote hastily, smiling all the while. “Sure. That would be nice.” He gave a predatory grin before taking Makoto’s hand and placing the paper there. “I’m Rin.”_

_“Makoto.”_

_“Call me.” He winked, walking away with a certain sway in his hips that’s definitely not normal. Oh wow. He will **definitely**  call._

 

_+++_

 

_Yamazaki Sousuke is a real cop. And his best friend is Matsuoka Rin. Who is **not** a cop, but wears a cop costume for a living. He makes more money than Sousuke and it’s really unfair. Rin deserves that though. He’s good at his job. He can go from Bad Cop to Good Cop to just- that thing he does with his hips._

_Sousuke is immune because they grew up together and he just finds it gross. The other people though… Well, Rin earns the money because he’s **good**._

_“Did something happen?” Sousuke asked, frowning. “Who was it?”_

_Rin rolled his eyes. “No one did anything to me.” He said, sighing. “There was this hot guy who mistook me for a cop. He said he’ll treat me out because of the misunderstanding and I gave him my number.”_

_“And…” Sousuke furrowed his eyebrows. “He didn’t call yet.”_

_Nodding in distress, Rin slumped down on the bed, hands covering his face. “Man, I shouldn’t have hoped.”_

_That’s new. Rin had boys and girls clamoring for his attention left and right. He’s popular wherever he goes. And yeah, he’s bad at long-term relationships but he’s pretty much the best there is when it comes to easy flirting and hook-ups. It’s his special talent._

_“Maybe he’s busy.” Sousuke said, trying to be comforting. It sounds like an excuse even to his ears though._

_“He hasn’t called in a week.” Rin groaned sadly. “I should have known. His face… he looked like an innocent pure-type of guy.”_

_Sousuke scowled and took the remote of the TV. “Come on, let’s watch The Notebook.”_

_Rin laughed and nodded, walking over to the space beside Sousuke on the floor. “You’re the best.” He said, grinning. He took his phone from the table and looked over his new messages. “Oh.” He quirked an eyebrow at the screen._

_“New job?” Sousuke asked._

_Rin passed his phone over, chuckling. “A surprise birthday party for a guy. Nanase Haruka? He lives on his own in Iwatobi. They wanna do the popping out of the cake thing.”_

 

_+++_

 

“Daddy, Papa,” Ryan looked up at her parents with large eyes. “Our teacher asked us to write about how our parents met!” She took out her penguin-themed notebook from her favorite godfather and her shark-themed pen. She sat on the floor beside the couch and placed her things on the low table. When she was contented with how it looked, she looked back to her fathers on the couch. “How did you meet?” Her eyes twinkled with curiosity.

Rin immediately blushed, looking away. “Uh,”

“He saved me.” Makoto said softly, an amused smile on his face as he glanced at his partner. “He helped me catch someone.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “You  _did_?!” She exclaimed with a gleeful expression. “Daddy is a hero!!!”

“Of course he is.” Makoto nodded.

“Just like papa!” Ryan added before looking at her notebook and happily scribbling on it. “Saving people all the time~”

—-

_When he heard the bass, he took a deep breath and prepared himself. He flexed his joints and wiggled his hips. He’s done this a million times. It’s easy. A routine. He stretched his arms up and destroyed the fake cake, jumping out of it with a single, graceful move._

_He looked up to the azure-haired guy on the chair. Nanase Haruka. The birthday boy. He looked bored as hell._

_“We just have to change that, then.” He whispered to himself as he tipped his hat up and swayed to the music. He rolled his hips once, twice, while staring at the birthday boy. He let a smug smirk appear on his face as he walked closer, shaking his hips just enough to be enticing. “Are you the one I’ve got to arrest?” He purred.  
_

_Haruka just scowled at him. “You ruined my cake.” He said flatly._

_Rin faltered for just a second before smirking again and pulling off his hat. He placed it on Haru’s head and turned his back, dancing to the rhythm. “Did I?” He asked. The other people seemed entertained enough, wolf whistling and cheering him on. A particularly giddy blonde was chanting “take it off!!”._

_Nah. He’ll make them wait._

_He walked over to the cake, which was really half cardboard so nothing was actually ruined. He placed his index finger on top of the real cake portion and swiped the icing. Standing up, he looked right into Haruka’s eyes and sucked it off. “It’s still good, though?” He said with a sultry voice._

_The music changed, so he had to go on with his routine even if the birthday boy was being an unmovable guy. Maybe he’s not interested. Whatever._

_Rin’s just gotta do his job. He loosened his tie while swaying to the music, for now looking at the other people in the room._

_He stopped mid-unbuttoning of his shirt when he saw a familiar face. A familiar face who was gaping at him in what seems to be a mixture of shock and arousal. Nice._

_“Makoto,” Oh shit. He just said that aloud, didn’t he? Well fuck._

_He turned away and walked over to the birthday boy again, pulling him up from the seat and dancing around him. This was easier. Immerse himself in the task at hand. He shook his hips and let the music take him._

_…_

_Haruka did change expressions after. He was pretty dazed by the end of it. But when Rin was about to go, just when the party was going into the just-for-friends mode, he took Rin’s wrist and pulled him into the hallway. (The blonde shouted ‘Go get it, Haru-chan!’. Excuse them, Rin is just here to **dance**.)  
_

_“Let me go!” Rin pulled away, scowling. “What are you-”_

_“You’re Rin, right? The one who helped Makoto with the arsonist?”_

_“Yeah.” Rin nodded, fixing his tie to do something with his hands. “So?”_

_Haru scowled and sighed. “He couldn’t call you because he was busy with my birthday and with his job.” He explained, looking like he didn’t want to talk at all. “Just talk to him.”_

_Rin just shrugged. “Then he can call whenever he wants to, now.” Inside, he wanted to jump in glee at this thought. Makoto talked about him to his friend! And he has a reason for not calling! “If that’s all,” He pulled his cap lower and nodded. “I’ll go now.”_

_—-_

_“Rin!” Makoto ran after him from the house. He stopped at the stairs leading to the road. “I- I’m sorry I couldn’t call you earlier.”_

_“Hmmm,” Rin hummed and nodded, putting on a cool look. “Really?”_

_Makoto ran a hand on his hair and looked into his eyes. “I wanted to. I really- I was surprised to see you here. I was going to call you tomorrow.”_

_Rin couldn’t help but smirk then. “That’s an awfully long wait for me, isn’t it?”_

_“I- yeah.” Makoto looked down and scratched his cheeks in embarrassment. “I didn’t know what to do. Sorry.”_

_“It’s fine.” Rin shrugged. Makoto’s here now and he’s looking as cute as he was back when they first met. He smirked and stepped closer. “Still wanna do something to repay me?” He asked, speaking directly to his ear. “I’m easily pleased.”_

_Makoto visibly shivered. “Um,” He stepped back and nodded, face flushed. “I was thinking of asking you out. For lunch tomorrow.”_

_Rin blinked. “Oh.” Wow. Really? “Like a date?” He asked, confused. He just danced in front of this guy and stripped. The whole nine yards of seduction. And he’s **not** asking for a dinner-date-that-might-end-up-at-his-place? That’s… new. New and weird. But nice. Really nice._

_Makoto nodded. “If it’s okay with you.”_

_Rin laughed at that. “Of course!” He smiled widely, not being able to keep to the sexy routine any longer. He was just way too amused and happy. “Lunch, sure.”_

_“Right.” Makoto sighed in relief. “I’ll call you later? We just have to,” He motioned towards the house. “We have to clean up.”_

_“Sure.” Rin’s smile was from ear to ear, he knew. It wasn’t a look he personally liked. He rocked the sexy hooded eyes look better, but Makoto looked just as happy as him so whatever. He’ll smile all he wants. “Call me.”_

—-

Rin placed his head on Makoto’s shoulder, laughing just a bit. “That was a nice, child-friendly story you’ve got there.” He whispered.

Makoto laughed as well, snaking his hands to hold Rin’s waist and pull him closer. “The real story would just have to wait.” He said, kissing Rin on the forehead. “It’s a really great one.”


	77. spaceman nagisa x cop rin wip

Rin thinks it’s unfair that he’s the one in charge of this. He became a cop to protect the public, to patrol the streets and stop crime. He wanted people to depend on him. He dreamed of children going to him and asking for directions, and then telling him they want to be cops because of him. He wanted to wield a gun and look badass. He wanted to-

“Are you  _sure_ you’re a cop?”

This astronaut guy is the weirdest person. Ever.

“Because you look like the stripper my sisters hired for my birthday.”

Rin chose to glare at the guy. Nagisa Hazuki. A young Japanese astronaut who got accepted into NASA’s latest space thing. Rin really doesn’t care. But the whole of Japan does. Nagisa is a  _star_. He’s a hero. There was a hero’s homecoming when he arrived. Children lined up to tell him how much they wanted to be astronauts when they grew up.

He doesn’t understand how this guy can be an astronaut. Shouldn’t you be really smart for that? He doesn’t look smart. He doesn’t  _act_  smart.

“Heeey~ Mr. Cop strippeeeer~”

Rin heaved a sigh of the long suffering. “I’m  _not_ a cop stripper.” He glared harder. “We need to go. I’m gonna escort you back to your hotel.”

Nagisa grinned and giggled into his hands. “ _Escort._ “ He giggled some more as he followed Rin out of the event hall.

—-

Nagisa has always dreamed of becoming an astronaut. He’s not really all that good with his studies and he never wanted to be in the field of science… but his dream was the most important. He fought for it and persevered so hard until he reached his goal. He was chosen as a representative of JAXA and even went to space. He saw  _earth_  from  _outside_. How cool is that?

This cop guy doesn’t seem all that impressed though. He looked really annoyed when Nagisa walked up to him. Even now that they’re in the hotel, he looks ready to kill someone. Isn’t that illegal? Cops should look dependable and not like serial killers.

"Are you constipated?” Nagisa asked, blinking slowly at the guy. “Did you eat something bad?”

Rin, or at least Nagisa remembered Sousuke introducing the guy as Rin, looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “No, I’m fine.” He was polite despite his sour expression.

“Then are you hungry?” Nagisa asked.

“…I’m not.” He said, words clipped. He looked like he was trying hard not to say anything else.

Hmmm. “Are you gonna admit any time soon that you’re a cop stripper?” He grinned when Rin’s eyebrow twitched. It was a reaction, at least. His face when he’s trying hard not to be annoyed is funny. Nagisa… might be having a bit of fun from this. Is that bad?

He put on his most innocent expression and asked, “Do you know how to pole dance?”

Rin closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, like his patience was waning and he would shoot Nagisa any time soon.

Oh no.

“ _I’m_ hungry!” Nagisa exclaimed, just to get off that train of thought. “We should order something. Pizza! We should order pizza!”

“You have room service.” Rin said simply, shrugging. And then, after a beat, he added “And you have your own room. Go back there.”

Nagisa pouted. “But then I’ll be alone!” He exclaimed. “That’s  _boring!_ ”

“You were in  _space_  for a month. How is being in a hotel room boring? There’s TV there.”

Crossing his arms, Nagisa snickered. “You’re underestimating the power of space.” He said solemnly. “It’s  _interesting_.”

"Uh-huh.” Rin nodded. “Sure.”

“I want pizza.” Nagisa groaned, plopping on Rin’s bed without prelude. He does not care at all,  _at all_ if Rin wants to be a moping moper who mopes.  _He_ wants to eat. A lot. “I’m gonna ask them if they have pizza.”

“Do what you want.” Rin rolled his eyes and sighed, sitting back on his chair.

—-

“Why did you become a cop?”

Rin opened his eyes and watched as Nagisa spoke with his mouth full of whatever he’s eating right now. It’s 10 pm and Nagisa has yet to vacate his room. “What?” He wanted to tell him not to eat with his mouth full, but he really doesn’t care.

“I  _said_ ,” He swallowed the food down. How does he eat all of those? “Why did you become a cop?”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Rin stared at him for a moment. Then, he shrugged and said “The standard reason. I just wanted to protect people. My dad was a great cop. I wanted to be like him.”

Nagisa nodded. “Aaah~ That’s really standard.”

Silence.

"You’re not going to ask me why I wanted to become an astronaut?” He asked, frowning. “Come on~ Ask me!”

“Why did you want to become an astronaut.” Rin said flatly, looking bored.

Nagisa grinned widely and stood up, pulling at his curtains until it was completely open to show the large window. Outside, the stars shone brightly. “I wanted to get a shooting star!” He said, eyes flailing wide in excitement. “If I got one, I could wish as much as I like and I didn’t have to think my wish three times in such a short time!” He looked outside with a blissful expression. His eyes were shining. “I wanted to keep it in my pocket.”

Rin tried hard not to react. He didn’t want to give the boy a chance to talk to him more. But his face, and his voice, and his whole body was just exuding so much happiness. Rin’s lip twitched up. “And obviously you can’t do that.”

“I can  _dream_.” Nagisa puffed up his cheeks at him.

"Are you sure you’re the astronaut representative of Japan?” Rin scoffed, laughing a bit now.

“No, I’m an impostor.” Nagisa stuck out his tongue. “Like how you’re not a real cop.”

Rin rolled his eyes. “That’s getting old.”

“But you have the body of a stripper, Rinrin.” Nagisa insisted, eyes raking over his body.

“O-oi!” Rin blushed. “That’s sexual harassment.” He scowled. “And don’t give me a weird nickname!”

That, for some reason, cracked him up so bad he collapsed on the bed. Weirdo.

—-

“I’m sleeping on my bed.”

Nagisa woke up to Rin prodding him on the side with his baton. That’s totally against his human rights, right? He yawned. “Nooooo.” He moaned. “Tired! Sleep!” He shook his head repeatedly and burrowed into the pillow that smells like pepperoni pizza.

“Well, then, I’ll take over your suite.” There were footsteps away.

“NO!” Nagisa sat up, hands flailing around as he tried to balance himself up. “No!” He rubbed at his eyes and brought his gaze back to Rin. “Please stay?”

“ _What_?” Rin glared at him. “I’m not gonna sleep on this chair.”

“You can-”

“I  _won’t_  sleep with you. What the hell?!” Rin crossed his arms, face showing anger.

Nagisa groaned and shook his head. “You can sleep on bed and I could be on the chair. I’ll behave, I promise.” It’s just. It’s lonely, being alone. The space is vast and he knows how cold it is to stay alone for too long. He was born a social-type who likes to cling to people, after all.

Rin’s angry expression melted into… confusion. There was a tinge of concern there but ultimately he just looked confused. “What-“

Smiling wryly, Nagisa shrugged. “It’s been a while.” He said simply.

"Been a while since… you slept on a bed with…  _oh._ ” Rin’s eyes widened and his confusion turned into genuine softness. He slowly nodded. “I- I can do that.” He walked closer and sat at the edge of the bed. He crossed his arms and obviously schooled his expression into sternness. “No bad touch or anything.” He said, cheeks tinging with a light blush. “Keep your hands to yourself. I’m a  _cop_.”

Nagisa smiled widely and nodded. “I won’t!!”

—-

They woke up with tangled limbs, Nagisa’s arm sprawled on Rin’s chest and his nose on Rin’s neck.


	78. bby harunagi? super important

_The five children sat around the large sketchpad Tachibana Mama laid out for them. She told them to draw whatever they want, and Rin, being the kind of kid he is, immediately announced that they should all draw what they want to be when they grow up._

_The reaction was immediate. Rin picked a dark blue crayon for his Police Officer uniform. Makoto picked a red crayon for his Fire Truck. Rei picked a violet crayon for his science experiment test tube._

_Haruka picked a light blue crayon for his merman tail. Nagisa picked a pink crayon for his alien companion._

_Rei frowned at the latter two, staring at their drawings. “Mermen aren’t real, Haruka-san. And aliens aren’t, either, Nagisa-kun.”_

_Nagisa looked up with large eyes. “Aliens aren’t-”_

_With a flat, unimpressed look, Haruka moved closer to Nagisa and drew his very own blue alien. “Don’t worry, Nagisa. If mermen are real, then aliens are too.”_

_“But mermen aren’t-”_

_“They’re **real**.” Haruka insisted, pulling Nagisa’s hand to make him look. “They just don’t show themselves to Rei because he doesn’t believe.” He looked down intently at the cute pink blob that Nagisa called an alien. “If you believe, you can see them too.” He told Nagisa._

_A large smile broke out on Nagisa’s face as he nodded. “Yep! Thank you, Haru-chan!” He then proceeded to give the older boy a full body hug. “You’re the best!”_


	79. merman haru x astronaut nagisa

_It was a meeting that shouldn’t have happened._

_He was a creature of the sea and Nagisa was a creature from space. They were from opposing sides of earth. Their meeting should have been impossible._

_But Nagisa was nothing but persistent. He caught one glimpse of Haruka and his whole face lit up with so much joy. “Hello!” He waved both hands quickly, his whole bodysuit moving with the action. His large glass helmet was discarded at the side. “Are you an alien?”_

_Haruka blinked up at him in confusion. “No.”_

_“Oh.” Nagisa’s face fell as he walked closer, his way of walking reminding Haruka of the penguins he saw when he swam too far. With a sigh, he sat on the rock beside Haruka. “So I fell back on earth?”_

_“You came with a shooting star.” Haruka said, eyes wide._

 

_Nagisa’s smile widened as he looked at Haruka. His gaze then traveled down and he finally saw the fish tail under the rock. “Oh!” He gasped. “Are you sure I’m on earth?” He asked, gaping._

_Haruka nodded. “It is the planet we call earth.”_

_“And **mermen**  exist?” Nagisa asked, still wide-eyed with surprise._

_“You were looking for an alien.” Haruka said, pouting a bit. “Mermen are not as surprising as aliens.”_

_Nagisa laughed then, nodding vigorously. “Ahhh~ You have a point!” He stood up and spread his arms wide. “Space is endless but the earth is really big too!!!” He shouted to the sea. He sighed and looked back down at Haruka who was looking at him curiously. “Oh, and I didn’t come from a shooting star.” He explained. “My ship malfunctioned and I got a bit off course.”_

_“You don’t have anywhere to stay?” Haruka asked, blinking slowly._

_The moon shone bright behind Nagisa, the light making him even more ethereal-looking, like he was a star brought directly for Haruka to gaze upon. He was more beautiful than anything Haruka has ever seen. Prettier than the shells he collected. Smile brighter than any pearl._

_“I don’t.” Nagisa shook his head sadly. “It might take a while before people search for me. And I don’t know where I am.”_

_Haruka stared at him, at this beautiful creature from space, and he decided immediately. “Stay with me in my cave.”_

_Nagisa looked at him in confusion. “Why?”_

_I want to keep you, was what Haruka thought. Instead, he said, “Tell me about what you’ve seen in space.”_

_That earned him another laugh. “Deal!” Nagisa gave him a thumbs up. “Tell me about the sea too!”_

_Haruka’s lips twitched into a small smile, the first in a while. It’s lonely being alone under the dark corners of the ocean, no matter how much he loves the water. “Deal.” He smiled because he knew he wouldn’t be alone anymore._


	80. werecat rin x merman haru

_“So…” Haruka stared blankly at the weird creature in front of him. “Are you going to eat me?” He asked._

_The creature’s nose twitched as if in anger. “No!” He exclaimed hotly. “I don’t eat sea creatures, ew.” He stuck out his tongue in disgust._

_“Then why are you here.” He asked flatly. “Aren’t cats scared of the water?”_

_He sighed. “I’m Rin.” He said, as if Haruka cared. “And I… I like the water well enough.” He shrugged. “I know how to swim.”_

_“That doesn’t make sense.” Haruka said, frowning._

_“Well, I can, okay?!” Rin replied, like the hot-headed creature he was. He was flushed red though, as if the confession was somehow embarrassing. “And I- I really like seeing you swim.” He mumbled._

_“Hmmm.” Haruka just hummed, thinking deeply. He’s seen Rin in the shore every night since the full moon almost a month ago._

_“A-and I don’t want to eat you, okay?!” Rin said loudly, face completely red now. “I only eat meat. Fish are disgus- Uh, I mean fish aren’t enough for my stomach.”_

_Haruka narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying you don’t eat mackerel?”_

_“No…?” Rin asked in confusion. “What the hell does that-”_

_“Come with me.” Haruka pulled at his paw. “We’ll catch some mackerel for you.”_


	81. chef haru x astronaut nagisa

_Nagisa could feel tears prickling his eyes as he looked down at the banner and the table and the cake on the table. Everything was so pretty. And all of it was just for him. The banner was simple but with a beautiful painting of the sky on the background and the words [Welcome Back!]. The tables were empty except for the one at the center where Rin, Makoto, Rei and Haru were seated._

_The cake was… The cake was perfect. Nagisa knew how much effort must have went on that. It was a dark blue cake with little stars and candy planets. At the middle was a candy version of him in his astronaut suit and a variety of blob aliens around him. It was like the ones he drew as a child._

_Haru-chan remembered. Of course he did. Haru-chan always supported him from behind. Always listened to his rants about space. Always jogged with him to offer quiet comfort. He was the best person in the whole world, Nagisa thinks. And Nagisa is thankful he met him._

_“Haru-chan…” Nagisa ran over to him and hugged him tightly, head on Haruka’s shoulder as he sobbed out in relief. “I’m home…”_

_He could hear the joy in Haruka’s voice as he said, **“I missed you.”**_


	82. cowboy au [nagirin]

_“Nagisa!”_

_Rin was livid. The moment he saw Nagisa on the ground, blood streaming down his side, he almost blacked out. He was so scared. He doesn’t even- He told Nagisa not to go out there yet! He specifically asked the boy to let him do the heavy lifting, the harder jobs. It wasn’t because Rin didn’t want Nagisa around!_

_Nagisa just… misinterpreted it. Rin was bad with words, he knew that. He didn’t know how to say sorry well enough, didn’t know how to properly thank people, didn’t know how to express his love for the people he hold dear the most._

_Rin loved Nagisa more than anything, and he just wanted Nagisa safe._

_“Nagisa…” He cradled the young boy’s body on his lap, curling around it as if that would stop the bleeding. “They’ll- They’ll arrive soon, okay? Makoto’s got the first aid kit so… Just- Breath, okay? Stay alive.”_

_With a pained grunt, Nagisa nodded. “Sorry, Rinrin.” He said, voice raspy. “I shouldn’t have-“_

_“Sshhh…” Rin kissed his forehead lightly, rubbing at the side of his neck comfortingly. “It’s gonna be okay.”_

_Nagisa, for some reason, found something funny from that. “Rin-chan, it’s not that bad.” He said, looking up with a strained smile. “You get worse injuries than this.”_

_Rin shook his head, putting another light kiss on his forehead. “Shut up. It’s better me than you, okay? Better me than you.”_

_Nagisa’s smile got a little bit brighter at that. “You love me so much.”_

_“I do.” Rin said immediately, nodding. “I do. So shut up and wait for the first-aid kit, okay?”_


	83. who am i to you [rinrei]

_“What are we, really?” Rei asked, frowning at Rin who was currently sitting on the ground stretching with Rei pushing on his back. “Haruka-senpai is your rival. Nitori-kun, Momo-kun and Nagisa-kun are your kohais. Sousuke-kun is your best friend. Makoto-kun is the captain you confer with. And I’m… what, your friend?”_

_Rin grunted as he bended down more, not answering until he was sitting up again. “Well,” He shrugged. “I guess?” He frowned. “I feel like that’s weird.”_

_Rei nodded, scrunching up his nose. “Yeah. Pretty weird. And not beautiful at all.” He stepped to the side to sit beside Rin. “It’s so… normal.”_

_With a scoff, Rin nodded. “Yeah, we’re not normal at all, are we?” He mused with a smile. “Hmmm…” He looked at the pool thoughtfully. “You’re…” His eyes lit up with a new wave of joy as he grinned widely at Rei. “I know now.” He said._

_“I’m your…?”_

_Rin placed an arm around Rei’s shoulders, pulling him close before announcing **“You were my savior.”**_


	84. the only sougou fic ive ever written

_Sousuke was 13 when he saw it happen. He was walking towards the gate of the school when he heard the familiar voice shouting “Stop it!” His head snapped towards the direction of the voice and before he knew it, he was running towards the flower gardens._

_Gou was sitting on the ground with a bucket of water spilled at the side. She was teary eyed but her face didn’t show fear or sadness. Instead, she looked fierce and ready to explode. A little firecracker. “I said stop it!” She screamed at the girls around her._

 

_The girls simply laughed at her. One of them- a blond one- even kicked the bucket away. “What kind of name is Gou even?” She asked. “And your brother is called Rin? It’s so lame.”_

_“It’s not lame.” She gritted out, walking over to pick the fallen bucket. “Leave me alone.”_

_The blond girl walked closer menacingly, leering. She raised her hand up._

_Oh no. No, you won’t. “Teacher! They’re here!” Sousuke shouted to the side, careful not to be seen. The girls looked up in alarm and scrambled the other way. Gou was the only one left, staring wide-eyed as Sousuke walked in. He frowned as he got closer, eyeing the damage. There were damaged flowers at her side, a discarded shovel lodged on the soil. “Gou,” He didn’t know whether to frown or offer a comforting smile._

_“Sousuke-kun,” Just like that, she surged forward and clung on to his shirt, burrowing her face on his chest as she cried. “Sousuke-kun…”_

_Without any hesitation, he put his arms around her. “It’s okay. I’m here.”_

_—_

_Sousuke found the blond girl in the cafeteria the next day, conversing with a few of her friends. He schooled his expression into his most charming one. He walked over to them and leaned close. “Hey,”_

_The blond girl blinked at him in confusion, before her whole face flushed red. “Uh, yes?” She asked, voice expectant. “Is there anything-”_

_“Come with me.” He said, still with that smile. “I need to talk to you.”_

_She stood up immediately and followed after him without question. When they were finally in the garden, he stopped and she followed suit. “You’re Yamazaki-senpai of the Swim Team, right?”_

_He let the facade fall away as he scowled at him, glaring harder than ever. “Yeah,” He nodded. “And you were the one bullying Matsuoka Gou?”_

_Her expression melted into one of horror. “I- I wasn’t-”_

_“What did Gou ever do to you?” Sousuke asked, voice low and definitely threatening._

_“She was the one who started it!” She spluttered, stepping back in fear. “She was flirting with Ryo-kun!”_

_Sousuke’s jaw clenched in anger. “She didn’t do anything to you.” He said. “Get away from her. If I see you raise a hand on her again…” He let that linger, let it be filled with whatever horrifying thing her brain could supply. He sighed and looked at her in the eye. “Just go away.”_

_She nodded quickly and ran away._

_—_

_“You didn’t have to do that.” Gou said, appearing from the shadow of the tool shed at the side. “I could take her.” She sounded frustrated, as if she wasn’t just crying yesterday because of those girls ganging up on her._

_He smiled, a real one this time. “I know.” He walked to her side and placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “She was pretty weak.” He agreed. “But I wanted a go at it. I hate those types.”_

_She laughed. “You’re just like nii-chan.”_

_His eyes softened. “You miss him a lot, don’t you?”_

_“Yeah.” She nodded. “He always teased me but… he was pretty protective too.”_

_He squeezed her shoulder, smiling a fond smile at her. “Don’t worry. I’d be protective on his stead.” He said. “I’ll scare off all your suitors.”_

_That earned him another laugh. “That’s really like nii-chan.”_


	85. nagirin end card fic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [this](http://moeblobmegane.tumblr.com/post/91535182098/im-not-crying-youre-crying-rin-has-been) has links to those nagirin things they released in one week that murdered me completely

Rin has been thinking about it for a long time. And he never quite understood why Nagisa was still focusing on breast stroke. It was understandable that he wanted it to be his main stroke for the relay, but Rin clearly remembered Nagisa saying “I want to master Butterfly too!”. Even though he initially looked like a grasshopper while doing it, Rin saw him improve back then. If he trained hard enough, he could have two strokes by now.

“Hey,” Rin walked in on the Iwatobi club room, looking around to see that only Nagisa was there right now. Perfect chance, then. “Good morning.”

Nagisa smiled brightly up at him from where he was rummaging through his bag on the floor. “Good morning, Rin-chan!”

 

Rin went in and placed his bag down, taking his things out as well. There was silence as they both did what they had to do. And when he was finished with his, he turned to Nagisa to finally ask the question. “Nagisa…”

“Yes?” Nagisa asked through a mouthful of bread. It was disgustingly adorable how much of a glutton he was. “What is it? Do you want some?”

Rolling his eyes, Rin shook his head. “I was just wondering…”

“What kind of bread this is?” Nagisa asked, staring. “It’s melon bread.”

“I can see that!” Rin exclaimed, frowning. “Let me finish!”

Nagisa cracked up, laughing loudly while clutching his stomach, and then waved his hand as if telling him to go on. Ah, he was definitely messing with Rin earlier. Such a brat.

“I was just wondering why you didn’t teach Rei Butterfly.” He said slowly, waiting for Nagisa to calm down from his laughing fit. “He told me he learned it on his own.”

Looking at him in confusion, Nagisa tilted his head. “I’m… not good enough to teach Butterfly?” He answered, forehead creased in concentration.

“But you said you wanted to learn it, right? It’s been five years!” Rin frowned. “Are you telling me you didn’t study it all these years?”

Nagisa’s expression softened as he stared back at Rin. “I wanted to learn it from you.” He shrugged, like it was not a huge fucking deal. As if him waiting this long to learn a stroke he wanted to learn 5 years ago wasn’t important at all. “You always praised me when I improved, and I learned a lot from Rin-chan so…” He giggled. “Ahhh, but it really has been a long time, huh? It’s okay though! I practiced hard for breast stroke so I could be a good part of the relay team like you guys too.”

Rin watched him look down and nibble on his bread quietly. “You are,” he said, walking closer to sit down beside him. “You’ve been a great part of the Iwatobi relay team.” He placed a hand on his head, ruffling it lightly. “You’ve been awesome.”

“Yay!” Nagisa’s whole face lit up in joy. “Rinrin praised me!”

“Oi!” Rin pushed at his shoulder, not being able to stop the smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t call me that.”

Nagisa just laughed and took his swim suit from his bag. “While no one’s here, do you wanna swim?”

Rin nodded. “Butterfly?”

“Yeah!”

—

“Can we have a bet?” Nagisa asked excitedly, looking at the pool with shining eyes. “Like before. I want a bet.”

Rin chuckled, stretching his legs as preparation. “Then,” He raised an eyebrow at Nagisa and smirked. “If you do good today and you can swim butterfly properly, I’ll do anything you say.”

“Anything?” Oh no, Nagisa looks positively delighted at that.

“S-sure.”

“You’re the best, Rinrin!”

“ _Stop_  calling me _that_!”

—

“I won~” Nagisa jumped around the swim club room, clutching Rin’s uniform in hand. “I won!!!”

“Why do you even want-” Rin glared hard, but Nagisa was beyond cloud nine in happiness. He had already snatched the clothes away and had forced Rin to hold on to his clothes. “I  _can’t_  fit into this.”

Nagisa snickered. “You can if you try, Rin-chan! Believe in yourself!”

“Your clothes are so-” He pulled on the pants and… he was able to fit into it. It was smaller in height and a bit snug but they still fit. “Oh.” He pulled on the jacket. It was tight around the shoulders but it fit as well. “It’s-”

With a smirk, Nagisa nodded. “I grew up too!” He exclaimed before pulling on Rin’s pants. “Ah,” he frowned as the pants fell down. “You’re just a bit bigger.” He pouted at it, shuffling his feet. He sighed and pulled on the white jacket instead. “Aaah~” He grinned widely, stretching his arms on both sides. “It’s so comfy!”

Rin groaned. “Don’t get so comfortable with it.”

“I don’t know, Rin-chan. I might just steal this.” Nagisa said, sticking out his tongue.

“Shut up” Rin spat out but with no real heat. “Wear proper pants already.” He pointed to his penguin boxers. “You look stupid.”

“I’m  _cute_.” Nagisa exclaimed, shaking his hips and laughing as Rin just sighed at him. “Let me enjoy this first~”

“Fine, fine.” Rin shook his head exasperatedly.  _Be thankful I can’t say no to you, brat_.

—

(“Se-senpai… why are you wearing- Why is Hazuki-kun- What’s happening?”

“Rin, why-”

“Nagisa-kun! Why are you in your boxers and in Rin-san’s jacket?”

Rin blushed and went on to strip. Nagisa just kept on laughing.)

 

**coda:**

_“I wrote to you though. I wanted some tips about butterfly.” Nagisa said, eyebrows furrowed. “You said I should take good care of it and feed it leaves.” He grinned. “Rin-chan got it wrong~”_

_“Sh-shut up!” Rin crossed his arms, his whole face turning red. “That was five years ago! A- a few mistakes here and there was understandable.”_

_Nagisa patted him on the back. “You were really bad at Japanese, weren’t you?”_

_“I was **abroad**. It was-”_

_“-understandable, yes. I get it, Rin-chan. Don’t feel bad about it.” Nagisa laughed._

_“Why am I the one being comforted?” Rin glared at him._

_“Because you suck at Japanese?” Nagisa asked innocently._

_“It still comes back to that?!”_


	86. cat's pov [soumako]

_He came in like a dark angel from heaven, picking me up from the stairs and staring at me with those clear blue eyes. He was gorgeous. Even more gorgeous than that Haruka guy (I like him, but you know, he’s just so… he likes water and I don’t like getting wet). He was more gorgeous than that Rin guy the others kept on flailing about._

_This guy is much more beautiful. He had this charm, a certain aura. It was intense. He looked angry when he picked me up, but he immediately smiled and scratched behind my ears._

_It was love at first sight._

 

_His name is Yamazaki Sousuke, and my master isn’t close with him. I think Yamazaki-sama doesn’t smile as much as he should around master. But maybe he just smiles around me a lot because I’m beautiful?_

_Then again, isn’t Master the most beautiful, after all? He saved me from starving and he has the nicest smile! He’s he kindest person on earth._

_If Yamazaki-sama is a dark angel, then Master is an angel of light._

_Wouldn’t it be poetic if they become closer?_

_With that in mind, I got into work._

_—_

_The first plan was simple. Master loves me and doesn’t want to put me in harm. So I’ll do something a bit evil. It’s for the sake of seeing Yamazaki-sama more, so it’s okay, right?_

_I climbed a tree deftly, like how my late mom taught me. Now, this one’s the evil part. Master watched me in horror as I jumped to a branch further than he could reach. Out of everyone in his circle of friends, only Yamazaki-sama was taller than Master. It would be easy for him to get me._

_“Mako-chan! Mako-chan! Bring me up so I could get Umi-chan off the tree!”_

_Tsk. Nagisa-chan seemed to have thought up a better plan._

_I can’t let him win. It’s all or nothing now._

_As soon as Nagisa-chan was near, I did the wildest hiss I could muster and scratched the bark near his hand. Sorry, Nagisa-chan. Don’t hate me._

_“Ah!” He was easily let down by master, blinking up in confusion. “Umi-chan doesn’t like me?”_

_I do like you, Nagisa-chan! Don’t hate me!_

_“I’ve got this.” Yamazaki-sama, as always, looked gorgeous as he reached up with his long muscular arms and held me in his perfect hands. They were as big as Master’s, and just as comfy. I felt at ease immediately. “Here,” he smiled that casual smile he usually gives the team when they gather together. It was not the warm smile he gives his own team or to me, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Take care of your cat.”_

_Master was flustered as he nodded and took me, rubbing my back worriedly. “Thank you!”_

_—_

_Phase two was much more harder. I wasn’t a dog and I didn’t know where Yamazaki-kun lived. It felt like everything was going to be in vain._

_But luckily, the Rin-Appreciation club was willing to help me. Their wonder boy Rin Matsuoka would have better chances of hanging around Iwatobi if Yamazaki-sama is preoccupied. I’m not sure what that means but I’m just glad they’re helping me._

_Following their directions, I ended up in the dorm._

_“Matsuoka-senpai!” One guy… uh, that small one with the blue bowl hairstyle… looked surprised when he saw me. But he smiled brightly and called out to the hallway behind him, “Is this one of yours?”_

_Rin appeared at his side and peered down at me. “I won’t bring them here.” He shrugged. “This looks familiar.”_

_I walked over to his leg, purposefully rubbing my head on him while purring. He crouched down and took one look at the red ribbon on my neck before a look of understanding passed his expression._

_“It’s Umi.” Rin smartly said. He’s so great._

_—_

_Phase three was simple enough now that I was in Yamazaki-sama’s place. I just had to find him while Master was on his way here. And since Rin found me, Yamazaki-sama showed up just a few minutes later._

_“Yo,” Yamazaki-sama nodded his head at the small guy before walking over to Rin and bumping his fist with his. It was adorable. Yamazaki-sama is so perfect. “Oh.” Noticing me from my place beside Rin, he crouched down and scratched the top of my head just the way I like it. “Umi, how did you even get here?” He asked playfully, sitting cross-legged in front of me._

_I purred in response, jumping to his lap and settling there._

_“Oh!” The small guy laughed. “He likes you, senpai!”_

_Of course I do, bowl-head guy. I purred and rubbed my head on Yamazaki-sama’s stomach. He laughed and petted me some more. He’s so nice. And hot. And perfect. Master would love him if he laughs like this more._

_“Would Tachibana get her?” he asked, looking at Rin with a curious expression._

_Rin nodded. “But a bit later.” He said, frowning. “He’s busy with taking care of his siblings.”_

_Yamazaki-sama made a considering hum, staring at me with his gorgeous eyes. “Should I go there?” He asked, smiling easily. “The exercise would do me good.”_

_“Are you sure? It’s pretty far.”_

_“Yeah,” He smiled at me fondly and I was sure he was doing this all for me. He loves me! “It’s probably worth the trip.”_

_Rin just raised an eyebrow at him, not knowing the deep look of love me and Yamazaki-sama were sharing._

_—_

_“Umi!”_

_Master looked so worried as he took me from Yamazaki-sama’s hands. Their hands lingered together for a second too long than normal, but I guess that’s because Yamazaki-sama really did not want to let me go. I understand his feelings completely._

_“Thank you so much!” Master bowed down his head in gratefulness. “I was worried when she didn’t come out when I called her. I’ve been looking for her.”_

_Yamazaki-sama’s expression softened as he smiled at Master. This smile was different from the ones I’ve seen. It was… soft and warm in a way that wasn’t similar at all to how he smiled at his friends. “I guess she likes me, huh?”_

_That startled a laugh out of Master. He clutched me closer and nodded bashfully. “I guess. She seems pretty fond of you.”_

_With a nod, Yamazaki-sama stepped back. “Well then, I should-”_

_Master immediately shook his head. “Come in, please.” He said, motioning towards the door. “We have cake. Let us repay you-”_

_“Nah,” Yamazaki-sama chuckled. “Next time, maybe?” He asked. “I’ll visit Umi-chan again.” He was staring right into Master’s eyes, probably asking for permission. It was pretty intense though, and Master’s whole face got a bit red._

_“Okay.” Master nodded. “Any time.”_

_Yes! Mission accomplished!_

_—_

_(“Your cat really loves me a lot, huh?”_

_“She does. She behaves better when you come over.”_

_“Is this your subtle way of asking me to come over more?”_

_“Do you want it to be?”_

_“Heh. I’ll come over more then. Gotta make sure Umi-chan doesn’t get too lonely, right?”)_


	87. merman haru? x cop rin [harurin]

_Rin loves his job. He does. Helping out in the community feels great. Catching evil-doers makes him feel like a hero. Carrying things for grandmas who crosses the roads and getting a fond smile in return fills his heart with joy. Even the usually hated task of attending children’s parade and teaching kids about road safety is fun for him. He likes kids, okay? Kids are adorable! And they look at him with wide, adoring eyes._

_He loves his job a lot._

_Except for these times. The times when crazy people appear in their otherwise quiet neighborhood._

 

_“Hey,” Rin frowned as he got closer. The man with the azure-colored hair was stripping off his clothes. **Stripping**. In the middle of the park. What the hell? “Hey!” He rushed forward, stopping at his side and getting an eyeful of a muscular stomach as the man stopped in the middle of raising his undershirt. “What the hell are you doing?!”  
_

_The man looked at him with blank eyes. “Swimming.”_

_“That is a **fountain** , idiot!” Rin exclaimed, a hand motioning angrily towards the said fountain in the middle of the park._

_“It’s hot.” He replied, as if that was normal. What the hell. “I’m drying up.”_

_“What are you, a fish?!” Rin can’t even understand how this person could think this was okay. There was no one around, at least. This should go easier. “Why don’t you swim in the beach or the public pool?”_

_The man, oh so blank since earlier, now showed an interested expression. His eyes widened just a bit, and it was as if his eyes shone happily at the thought._

_“Are you new here?” Rin asked. “You don’t know where the beach is?”_

_He nodded, eyes still doing that wide-eyed shiny thing._

_Rin sighed and lightly urged the man’s hand down from where they were suspended at mid-strip. “I’ll show you.” He pointed to the road. “We can walk there, Mister…?”_

_“Haruka. Nanase Haruka.” He said, taking the sweater he discarded on the floor. “Thank you, Mister cop.”_

_“I’m Rin. Now let’s go before you dry up or whatever.”_

_Haruka gave him a small smile._


	88. Wrong [canon divergence soumako]

_It just felt right, somehow. Iwatobi and Samezuka has forged such a strong friendship in the past year that it was easy to imagine them doing the “Thank You” celebrations together. Makoto and Rin were great captains. Both teams wanted to celebrate that._

_And also, Momo just really wanted to party. Nitori can’t stop him no matter what he does. Momo’s energy exceeds normality._

_“Sousuke-senpai,” Nitori, ignoring Momotaro’s complaints about the small number of females in the list of attendees, strode over to Sousuke with a determined expression. He really was starting to look and sound like a captain. It was a great look on him. “Can you…” He took one deep breath. “Can you distract Tachibana-san?”_

_That was… unexpected. But in a way, it really shouldn’t have been. Nitori was artsy and was the brain of the operations. Momo knew how to party, knew how to make ones. Nagisa was in charge of food. Rei was in charge of stopping Nagisa from munching on the food, and also giving beautification advice on the party hall (the order was to do the exact opposite of Rei’s advice)._

_Haruka was in charge of distracting Rin. No, actually, it was more like they already had plans together even before the party plans were made._

_That leaves Sousuke. And Sousuke hates being useless, so of course he agrees._

_Wrong move?_

 

_—_

_The thing was, Sousuke liked Makoto. Not in the way he now likes Haruka (in a ‘I am okay with you and I admire your skill but I will still drop you in the deep end of the ocean if you hurt Rin’ way), or how he has always liked Gou (in a 'you are the little sister I never knew I wanted’ way), or even in the way he ended up liking Nitori and Momo (in a 'you are important to me and I swear to god you can always count on me to back you up’ way)._

_He liked Makoto. In a different way. In a 'you really distract me’ way. In a 'I ask myself questions about you all day way. In a 'I might have dreams about you’ way. In a 'I was terrified of you when you talked to me about Haruka but then you smiled and I was **gone** ’ way. In a 'I hope to still be around you after graduation’ way._

_But the worst of all was, it was also in a 'I really want to kiss you’ way._

_Sousuke’s been trying to distance himself from Makoto, really. He was. He didn’t sit beside the other captain and convinced Rin to always sit with Makoto as some sort of captain-on-captain friendship plan. Sousuke’s been so good._

_But graduation was near. Haruka and Rin were going with him to Tokyo to train._

_Makoto was… Makoto was going to study something else. He wanted to be a veterinarian, because of course he’d choose a profession where he could help people AND interact with little pets. It’s so unfair. Makoto’s existence is just unfair._

_Sousuke willed all those thoughts away as he sighed and walked towards the Iwatobi high school’s swim club room. Makoto was the only one there right now. This should be easy._

_Wrong assumption?_

_—_

_It was not easy. Makoto was smart, and he could read people almost as well as Nagisa could. It was a scary Iwatobi Captain skill, maybe. They have this sharp look in their eyes when they stare right at Sousuke and ask him “What’s the problem?” It felt like they were reaching right into his soul for the answers._

_Sousuke wanted to make Nitori do 100 laps. (Except knowing the boy, he’d just do it and never complain. That kid is hardcore where it counts.)_

_“I just… wanted to hang out with you.” Sousuke said, smiling. It wasn’t hard to smile, especially since he kind-of really wanted to hang out with Makoto. It was a great excuse as any other. “Since we’d be going into different paths and all.”_

_Makoto chuckled at that, nodding as he took his bag. “That sounds like a goodbye.” He mused, straightening up. He walked over to the door and glanced back at Sousuke with an unreadable expression. “Let’s go?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_They_   _walked out of the school and into a cafe near soon enough. The place was mostly deserted; meaning they could talk all they want without being bothered much. It was a good enough plan. Sousuke was so down with that. Talking to Makoto and learning more about him was a great goodbye gift._

_Okay, that was most likely a wrong thing too._

_—_

_Yeah, he’s got that right, ironically. He was wrong about it being a great gift. This is horrible. The most horrible thing._

_Sousuke knew about the twins. He saw them a lot, even played with them. He didn’t know that Makoto named them and also goes on outings with them whenever they want. He didn’t know Ran used to put make-up on Makoto and he just let her. He didn’t know Makoto would sometimes let Ran sleep with him when he has nightmares._

_He also knew about the goldfishes Haruka got for him last year. But he didn’t know about the graveyard of the old goldfish Makoto used to have. About how Makoto picks flowers everyday to put on it._

_Sousuke knew about Makoto’s love for cats. He didn’t know about Makoto’s mom’s allergy, about Makoto making a small home for his cats away from his mom because he love cats but he wanted his mom to always be healthy._

_Sousuke knew Makoto was kind. He knew Makoto was gentle and caring and an over-all great guy._

_But this was ridiculous. This was too much._

_I like you, Sousuke thought as he watched Makoto talk about Super Fusion Doppelganger (an old show they all liked as children)._

_I want to kiss you, he thought as he watched Makoto look through the menu for something the team and his family would like to eat for the next time they might eat here._

_I don’t want this to be goodbye, he thought as Makoto looked at him, smiled and asked if he wants to order desserts._

_“Yeah,” He replied. Just an hour more. Stay with me for an hour more._

_(Wrong. Nitori called just a few minutes later. Sousuke couldn’t even spend an hour more with him.)_

_—_

_After that, it was a whirlwind of activities. Makoto’s whole face lit up with joy upon seeing the banner. Rin cried, as expected. The new captains, Nitori and Nagisa, both made speeches about how much they respected the two and about how they promise to uphold the friendly rivalry between the two schools._

_(Nagisa poked Nitori on the side after that and Nitori yelped and ran away as soon as they were over. It was adorable. And also amusing, because Nitori can’t forever run away. Sousuke would be sure to check on them when competitions starts next year.)_

_They ate together, mingled, and did a customary relay that hilariously ended with Haruka pulling Rin in and kissing him. (Hilarious in that Nagisa and Rei and Gou and practically everyone cheered and Rin almost drowned in embarrassment.)_

_Sousuke wasn’t able to talk to Makoto during the party. Didn’t really try to. Was afraid to, more specifically. He just- he didn’t need another attachment. He was in too deep already, and he can’t swim away from the deep end. It was a frustrating feeling._

_He didn’t want this feeling anymore._

_(Wrong. So, so wrong.)_

_—_

_“You know, for all your posturing about me not being able to properly sort my feelings for Haru, you’re not any better, are you?”_

_Rin sat beside him on one of the monobloc chairs they had beside the table of food. He was wearing that smug grin that made Sousuke want to hit him on the head._

_“Huh?” Clueless was the way to go. Sousuke mirrored his smug grin and crossed his arms. “I’m not sure I know what you mean by posturing. I was just trying to scare off your prospective husband.”_

_Rin blushed but did not back down. “Stop fronting.” He said, elbowing Sousuke’s arm playfully. “I saw how you watched Makoto all day.”_

_Sousuke schooled his expression into a disapproving frown. “I wasn’t. And your eyes were glued on Nanase the whole day, Rin. You barely noticed me offer you food earlier.”_

_Raising an eyebrow, Rin looked at him challengingly. “Really? You’re trying too hard to pass the conversation to me, dude.” His smug grin was back. “You’re still guilty.”_

_“I’m going back to Tokyo to train, Rin.”_

_“And so?” Rin’s expression was bordering on judgmental at this point. Asshole best friend award, seriously. But then when met with Sousuke’s glare and silence, his whole expression dropped into that of genuine concern. “Oh, wow. That serious?” He shuffled closer, shoulder to shoulder with Sousuke now. “You really like him?”_

_“I-” He doesn’t lie to Rin much. Mostly never. So this time, he won’t. “I do. It’s not going anywhere, though. So I need you to stop with that-”_

_“No.” Rin grabbed his arm._

_“What do you mean no?” Sousuke asked, frowning. “I’m going to-”_

_“Shut up.” Rin interrupted, pulling him up to stand with him. “You made me and Haruka confess to each other. Now, I have to do the same.”_

_“Idiot!” Sousuke exclaimed, trying to pull away. They’re both strong and it hurts, damnit. “There’s no confessing that needs to happen!”_

_“You’ll regret it. You told me to dive into it, right? You told me to face the waves, Sousuke. Listen to your own advice!” Rin reprimanded, still pulling him into the other end of the hall where Makoto and the others were._

_Sousuke pulled away more forcefully this time. “I told you that because it was obvious he liked you too. This isn’t like that. You dived into a pool. You’re dropping me from a cliff, Rin.”_

_“You’re the idiot, idiot.” Rin shot back in irritation. “I’ll smuggle sake from my grandma’s cabinet if you get heartbroken. But I bet you won’t be.”_

_“You’re definitely wrong about that.”_

_—_

_“So…” How does one even say goodbye to a love that can never be? Aw shit, he’s starting to sound like Rin’s diary entries. (He read it with Momo once. They stopped because it was too cute and embarrassing to be real.) “Uh, did you enjoy the party?”_

_“Yeah.” Makoto nodded, the side of his eyes crinkling in happiness. “It was really nice of everyone to do this.”_

_“You were an awesome captain. Of course, they’d do this.”_

_“Nagisa would do a better job than anyone.” Makoto said, laughing._

_Sousuke frowned, thinking of the boy. “He’ll lure people in, but I’m sure they’ll get scared eventually. You were a great captain.”_

_“Thanks.” Makoto smiled at him gratefully._

_Then there was silence. Ugh. He can’t possibly do this. What would he say? Goodbye? …That makes sense. “Uh, yeah,” He nodded distractedly before offering his hand. “It was great knowing you. I hope you’re successful in your career.”_

_Makoto stared at his hand for a long time, then at his face. His expression was that unreadable one again. “I don’t think this is goodbye.” He said, frowning. “Don’t say that.” His voice was reprimanding and lonely._

_Sousuke didn’t know what he did wrong. They’re all moving on to become adults. Separation was natural. “But-” He dropped his hand to his side._

_“No buts.” Makoto said. Ah. He was wearing that 'I-need-you-to-know-you’re-wrong’ expression. It was always scary to be faced by that. Angering Makoto was a high-level feat that only a few could do._

_“You’re staying in Iwatobi.” …Okay, what. He wasn’t supposed to say that. “We’re all going to be busy away from each other. It’s easier to say goodbye while we have time.”_

_Makoto shook his head. “Sousuke-kun, you’re just going to be in Tokyo. With Haru and Rin. Everyone will find ways to communicate and meet-up. We’ve all learned our lessons.”_

_That last sentence surprised a laugh out of him. Fair enough. They all **did** learn to communicate more. And never forget to update friends to avoid miscommunication like the one Sousuke and Rin had. Still… Still, it wasn’t like it would be the same._

_And if Sousuke would say what he wanted to say, he’ll just want more. Disappointment was something he hated to feel._

_“Yeah, sure.” Sousuke just shrugged. “If you say so.” This is it. This is as much as a goodbye he’s going to get. Walk away now. That’s what he should do._

_Wrong._

_Makoto sighed and grabbed his hand. Not to shake it, apparently. Just held it in between his as he looked right into Sousuke’s eyes. “I don’t want this to be goodbye.” He said earnestly. “I never had the chance to say it, but I’m thankful for what you did. Even if it was messy, you gave us all the courage to move on. I was able to… I was able to believe in my own path.” He smiled. “I’m really thankful for all your help.”_

_“It wasn’t anything big.” It was more than messy. Sousuke was a whirlwind that shook everyone up. He doesn’t regret what he did, but he knew it in himself that it was not entirely a good thing. He hurt people too._

_“It was big.” Makoto insisted. “And I…” He continued staring at Sousuke. “We were lucky we met you. I’m lucky I met you. I was glad to know you better.”_

_Sousuke can’t take this. He pulled away from Makoto’s hold and stepped back. “You’re welcome.” He said. “I’m glad to have helped. But I need to focus on my career and you’re-” He gritted his teeth, angry at himself that he actually broke. “You’re a very distracting person.”_

_Makoto blinked in confusion, expression changing back to something much more normal. “Distracting?”_

_“I like you, is the thing.” Sousuke said, almost too forcefully. “It’s not a good thing.”_

_Makoto stepped forward. “But-” Another step forward. He looked up at Sousuke with a fearless expression. “I don’t think it is. Tokyo is just a long train ride away.”  
_

_Oh. Fuck it._

_Sousuke surged forward, capturing his lips in a much-needed long kiss. Both his hands cradled Makoto’s face as he pulled back. “You’re much scarier than Nagisa, you know that?”_

_Makoto chuckled, eyes shining happily._

_Watching his laughter up close, everything felt right in the world._


	89. post s2e4 coda fic [nagirin]

_Rin frowned as he stopped just outside the indoor pool’s doors. It was a Friday, and he was going to go home tomorrow to appease Sousuke’s constant prodding about not taking care of Gou enough and not giving his mom time to see him. He had plans to pack some things to bring home right after closing up the pool.  
_

_“What are you doing here?”_

_Nagisa was standing outside though, obviously waiting for him. He looked like he had clear plans in mind. And when Nagisa has plans, they happen. It’s one of the skills Rin knew from when they were kids.  
_

_With a huge smile, Nagisa walked up to him and offered a plastic bag full of energy drinks. “Is this enough payment for one training session?”_

 

_“Huh?” Rin blinked in confusion, stepping back. He averted his eyes, because 5 years doesn’t make you immune to certain puppy eyes powers. “I don’t-”_

_Nagisa clung on to his arm, a whine coming out of his lips. “We saw! You taught Rei-chan all the strokes, right? I want to learn butterfly too!”_

_Rin sighed. “Fine.” He snatched the plastic bag away and turned towards the door, not even making a move to dislodge Nagisa away from his arms. He’ll just cling again, anyway. “You can just ask Rei to teach you, you know?” He said as a last ditch effort.  
_

_“Hmmm~” Nagisa, still clinging on to him, followed after as the door opened. “But Rei-chan is weird when it comes to that.” He explained. Then, after a long pause, he added, “Besides, I think Rin-chan is the best teacher.”_

_“Heh.” Rin raised an eyebrow at that, pulling the other boy to the locker room so they could change into their swim suits. “I wonder if that’s true…”_

_Nagisa pouted. “Rin-chan!” He let go to step in front of Rin. “You’re supposed to say I’m your best student too.”_

_Rin’s eyebrow twitched again. “Maa…” Rin shrugged. “Rei learned all the strokes in one week though.” He said, smirking._

_Narrowing his eyes, Nagisa crossed his arms. “But Rin-chan!” He puffed up his cheeks, looking frustrated. “Do I have to learn all the strokes too? That’s unfair. I was your first student!”_

_Rin couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that what you’re here for? To be the best student?”_

_“Yeah!” Nagisa nodded, expression filled with determination. “I’m gonna reclaim my rightful place!”_

_Another sigh. Rin placed the plastic bag down and pulled at Nagisa’s arm as he opened the locker room. “That’s a really stupid plan.” He said, when they were already changing. “And it doesn’t make sense at all.”_

_Nagisa snickered as he opened the door. He looked back at Rin and smiled brightly. “Haru-chan is your rival. Mako-chan gives you advice. Rei-chan was the one who saved you.” He stuck out his tongue and turned his back, walking outside. With a soft voice that was barely heard through the quiet hall, he said, “I just want my spot back in Rin-chan’s life.” He ran towards the pool just like that, diving in noisily to dispel the atmosphere like how he always does._

_Rin walked slowly to the side of the pool, breathing in deeply as he thought of what Nagisa said. They haven’t hung out like this alone since he came back. He’s been back for a year. He slept over at Haru’s a lot of times already. He talks with Makoto on a daily basis. He trained Rei for a week recently._

_He never had a reason to call Nagisa out for anything._

_He didn’t know Nagisa wanted to spend time with him too._

_“Sorry,” He said, sitting on the edge, watching as Nagisa waded towards him with a curious expression._

_Nagisa blinked and tilted his head. “It’s not Rin-chan’s fault that you’re busy.” He said. “Sometimes, an ambush is the best course of action!” He exclaimed, index finger pointed upward as if he was saying a piece of wisdom. “Right?”_

_Rin chuckled, just nodding in agreement. He lowered himself into the pool, submerging his head for just a second before facing Nagisa. “Let’s swim?”_

_—_

_An hour and a half passed just like that, with Nagisa showing off his abysmal skills at butterfly but slowly learning how to have better form. Just like Rin remembered, he was pretty much the same kind of swimmer. He learned with his body, with motivations and practice and examples as his primary tools. He wasn’t like Rei and theory._

_Nagisa was, just like in everything he does, pretty exhausting. In a good way. He was a ball of energy, and in turn Rin felt the same wave of excitement flow through him._

_It was fun._

_—_

_Rin walked side by side with Nagisa to the gates. They were both tired but Rin insisted to walk him to the train station at least. He said it was for safety, but mostly it was just to find a moment to say what he wanted to say. To spend more time together, too._

_“Gou-chan said you’ll go home tomorrow?” Nagisa asked, opening the final bottle from the plastic bag and gulping it in one go._

_Nodding, Rin snatched the bottle away as soon as Nagisa was finished. There was still half left. He took a sip. “Mom’s been telling me to go home for a while.”_

_“Then you’ll be near us tomorrow!” Nagisa said, grinning widely._

_“Yeah,” Rin agreed, passing the bottled back. After a pause, he added, “Wanna hang out?”_

_Nagisa stopped on his tracks and faced Rin, gaping. “Eh?”_

_Rin rolled his eyes. “Don’t look so surprised. It was fun. Today was fun.” He shrugged._

_Another million watt smile appeared on Nagisa’s face. “Yup! It was! Let’s do it again tomorrow!” He exclaimed, jumping up in excitement. “The Swim club is open tomorrow~”_

_They talked about that plan for a while as they walked, deciding on where to meet and at what time. They finished talking just as the train station came into view. “Here we are.” Rin said, letting out a long breath._

_“Well then, I’ll-”_

_“Uh,” Rin raised a hand towards Nagisa in an aborted motion, unsure of what to do or say. After a second, he snatched the bottle back and said “This was supposed to be my payment.” He said._

_Nagisa laughed. “But there were a lot you drank already!”_

_“No take-backs.” Rin said. He took a deep breath and gently thunked the bottom of the bottle on Nagisa’s forehead. “And… you’ve always had a spot in my life, Nagisa. No one’s gonna erase that.”_

_Nagisa’s eyes positively sparkled at that, arms flailing out as he launched himself to hug Rin. “Rinrin!” He exclaimed, giggling. “Thank you!”_

_Rin smiled and hugged back._


	90. temporary amnesia [harurin]

“Oh god,” Rin rubbed at his head and groaned. Man, this headache is the  _worst_. It’s the only thing though, at least. His body doesn’t hurt anymore, and this bed is way too comfortable.

He glanced at his side to see the prettiest person he had ever seen in his entire life.  _His entire life_. The person had hair as black as the evening sky and eyes as blue as the ocean. His jaw was set in a tight line that showed off its sharpness. His shoulders were broad and looked strong. Man, he’s exactly Rin’s type. “My head hurts.” He moaned. (Because he’s smooth like that.)

“It’s just temporary, it’s okay.” The beautiful man said, voice laced with worry and a soft tenderness that didn’t escape Rin’s ears.

“Who are you?” Rin asked then. And because his head hurts and he’s way too dizzy to care, he added, “You’re beautiful.”

 

The man smiled at that, reaching out to fix Rin’s bangs into place. “You should rest. Go back to sleep.”

“If I sleep, will you still be here when I wake up?” Rin asked, frowning. His head really hurts and he feels like he’s floating. “I wanna get your number, mister.”

“You don’t have to.” He replied, still with that fond smile. “We have the same number.”

“You stole my phone?” Rin stared at him dumbly, blinking slowly as he felt sleepiness take over him once more. “It’s okay, you’re pretty. I’ll just buy a new one.”

The man chuckled then, a soft nice sound that made Rin have  _feelings_. It was a ticklish feeling inside his heart. Like small pleasant pinpricks around his chest. “No, we live together.”

Rin’s eyes widened for a bit. “Really? Why?” He slurred. “You’re too pretty to live with me.”

A soft red hue spread across his cheeks. “Just sleep, Rin. You’ll remember better later.” He said, patting Rin on the arm.

“Remember?” Rin really didn’t remember much. And he wanted to sleep, too. This beautiful man is smart. “But you’ll stay here?”

“Yes, I won’t leave.” He chuckled once more. The sound brought about another wave of warmth in Rin. “I don’t want you to cry.”

Rin pouted then, closing his eyes briefly. “I won’t cry. I don’t cry. I’m a grown up man.”

“Yeah, sure.” It felt like he was just saying it to appease Rin. “Now, sleep.”

He hummed in agreement and let the sleepiness take him. The last thing he felt was the man’s hand on his.

—

“I didn’t cry!” Rin exclaimed, wiping at the  _obvious tears_  at the side of his face. Haruka just came back from the restroom when he saw Rin had woken up. He called everyone immediately as soon as Rin called out ‘Haru’. “Something was just stuck in my-”

Haruka sighed and shook his head, sitting at the side of the bed. He pulled at Rin’s arm until he was half-hugging him. “I was worried.” He said quietly. “But it was cute when you said I was beautiful.”

“I-!” Rin’s whole face turned red, even when he returned the hug. “I was drunk with the medicine! I don’t-”

“So you don’t think Haru-chan is beautiful?!” Nagisa exclaimed from somewhere in the room. (Rin was kind of focused on his husband, okay.)

“Of course not! I mean,” Rin tightened his grip on Haruka and whispered, “Of course I think you’re beautiful. I’ll always think you’re the most beautiful.”


	91. what if sou wants to try backstroke [soumako]

_The first obvious choice was Momotaro. If Sousuke wanted to swim backstroke better, he should learn from the expert in their team, right?_

_Wrong. Momo is a special kind of athlete. Special kind of person, even. (Sousuke saw him peeking in their room yesterday and staring at Rin’s chest, okay? He’s weird. He also sometimes disappears and goes back to the dorm looking so dirty that Nitori ends up sleeping on the floor of Sousuke-Rin’s room. Sousuke thinks Momo might be an alien.) Just thinking of him teaching someone makes Sousuke shudder in **fear**._

_The second obvious choice was Rin. Because Rin knows all the strokes and is a goddamn expert on literally everything. He’s a great teacher too. He made that glasses speedo guy **float**. That was nothing short of magical._

_Except, Rin was not a backstroke swimmer. He was the best in freestyle and butterfly in their whole team. Besides, Rin was busy handling the kids. And offering tutoring lessons to the members who wanted to be better, apparently. (Rin is an angel brought to earth and Samezuka has been blessed.)_

_So no. Sousuke had to go for the not-obvious choice._

_He has to go ask Tachibana Makoto to teach him. (And no, he did not just list all of those as an excuse. No, he did not erase the other samezuka swimmers in his list of choices just so Makoto would be the one on top. Why would he? He does not have any reason to do that!)_


	92. 1 year left [soumako]

_Sousuke has always been the lone wolf type. He liked swimming because you only had to think about yourself while under the water. Unlike team sports, you didn’t have to worry about how fast your teammates are. You focus on your own score and you improve on your own._

_He liked being alone. He thought it was ideal.  
_

_…Until he met Tachibana Makoto, that was. Makoto who was kind and gentle and treated everyone with care. Makoto who showed him how big a person’s heart could be. Makoto who took him by the hand and told him it was okay to like being alone, but that he was always welcome to come join them._

_Makoto who unwittingly took in Sousuke into his circle of friends and taught him how to love._

_The same Tachibana Makoto who would **leave him**   **alone** now. Who taught him warmth and kindness and would now teach him how cold it feels after everything is lost._

_“Not everything.” Makoto shook his head, smiling the very same smile he always shows when they wake up at home. But this was not home. Sousuke could not pretend that those tubes aren’t the only ones keeping Makoto alive. “Not everything, Sousuke.”_

_“You are. You’re my everything.” Sousuke countered, clutching his hand tightly. “Don’t leave me.”_

_Makoto raised one hand and touched his cheeks softly. “You have Rin-chan and Haru and Gou and everyone.” He whispered. His voice, his touch, his everything was frail. He was already breaking. “You won’t be alone.”_

_And he knows that. He knows he has friends and he has family and life will go on. He doesn’t want to hear that now. “I don’t want to live in a world where you’re not there.” Sousuke bit his lip and looked down, unable to keep his tears in. “Please, Makoto…”_

_“I’m sorry, Sousuke.” He drops his hand down. He was too weak to hold on._

_Just like that, it was like darkness enveloped Sousuke._

_Winter nights were colder after knowing what warmth feels. Makoto was his sun. And now Sousuke would have to live through years of winter._


	93. miso soup [makorin]

_They say Japanese households has their own unique miso soup recipe. It’s always different from one house to the next. Rather than “delicious”, it tastes “comfortable” or “warm” or “like home”. It’s a piece of your family you bring with you wherever you go._

_“What are you eating?” One of the American guys, Patrick, sat beside Rin, face showing curiosity as he stared at the bowl on the table. “Looks delicious.”_

_“Miso soup.” Rin said, grinning. It’s been a while since he cooked for himself. (And he’s pretty sure only a few of them actually knew how to cook, so yes he can brag.)  
_

_“Can I-” He snatched Rin’s spoon quickly, his long arms making it impossible for Rin to stop him. “Bleh!” His whole face scrunched up in disgust upon tasting it. “What the hell?!”_

_Rin just laughed, giving him a glass of water. “That’s what you get for stealing food, asshole.”_

_Patrick stuck out his tongue. “Why are you eating that shit?” He groaned. “It’s like… It doesn’t make sense.”_

_Rolling his eyes, Rin slurped up a spoonful and hummed. “Instead of salt, there’s sugar in it. There’s too much water for the soup to taste anywhere near good. The ratio’s all wrong.”_

_“So why are you eating it?”_

_Rin shrugged. At the back of his mind, he could still remember how Makoto tried to make miso soup for him before he went back to Australia to train. **“It tastes like home.”**_


	94. kitto ashita wa sunny day [nagirin]

_“♪[Kitto~ Ashita was sunny day~ ♪](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsXDYHpN61CM&t=ZjYxZDNlMDE0MWYyNGU4ZDUxZDU3N2YxNzhjNzc5MThjN2YwYzQ0NixyaTV3WXRtRQ%3D%3D&b=t%3ADiKt8RB-O-PAnOPdMMrmvw&p=http%3A%2F%2Fmoeblobmegane.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F93764858588%2Fkitto-ashita-was-sunny-day-nagisa-kicked&m=1)” Nagisa kicked on the ground and swung higher on the swing, singing at the top of his voice._

_Rin just stared at him, sitting still on his swing. “Well, sometimes rainy days come one after another.” He grouched, eyes never leaving his movements._

_“♪ Motto boku ni mo better day~ ♪” Nagisa sang just as loudly, skidding to a halt to flash a shit-eating grin at Rin. He stared back for a full ten seconds before he giggled. “We both know what that feels, right?” He asked, eyes wide and understanding. “And we both know that no matter how long that goes on, light is at the end of the tunnel. The rain will surely stop.” He took a deep breath and stood up, walking over to Rin._

_“If it seems like it’s taking too long, I’ll let you borrow my umbrella.” He said with a cheeky smile. “I’ve got you.”_

_It was stupid, really, but Rin felt something lighten in his chest. “That doesn’t even make sense.” He replied, but he was smiling fondly at Nagisa anyway. The ‘thank you’ hang unsaid in between them._

_Nagisa smiled back, expression the same soft fond one Rin has on. “Now, sing with me! ♪ Ame nochi hare sonna mon da yo~ ♪”_


	95. that stripper cop crossover [makorin kagehina asanoya]

Rin was waiting for Tachibana Makoto to arrive and he was getting bored. Makoto called him yesterday to ask him for a  _date_ , it was all really cute and innocent. But Makoto was late. Like, an  _hour_  late. It was honestly disconcerting. Was Makoto pranking him? Was this… a joke?  
  
’ _Oh god, Sousuke would kill him_ ’ was Rin’s first thought. Because, hey, credit where it’s due. Sousuke would rip someone’s throat out if they play with Rin’s heart. Or he would invent some kind of charges to get Makoto arrested forever. Having a cop best friend is  _weird_.  
  
Makoto did not look that type, though. His smile could melt hearts! His voice was so gentle and nice and he has  _that mouth-watering shoulder_ , okay? Rin wants a piece of that. Rin wants this one to be a real date.  
  
So yes, he’s been here for an hour. He was bored. He really wasn’t to blame for listening in on the conversations around.

  
The waiter, a short guy with a blond streak at the middle of his towering hair ( _what the hell is that even_ ), stopped at the table on Rin’s side and looked at the two men on it. “Why are you even having your date here? Who’s the cheapskate?” He asked, grinning wide.  
  
“We’re not having a date!” Both the boys shouted, faces flaming red. The black-haired guy scowled deeply and said “I’m paying because he scored more points in the last match.”  
  
“Cute.” The waiter commented with a snort. “Also, keep telling yourselves that. Just keep that denial going.”  
  
“Noya-san,” The orange-haired one looked at him with a pout. “You shouldn’t call Kageyama cute. Since he’s not.” He sounded completely sincere, which probably offended the other because he started glaring harder. “He has an image to preserve! Look at his face!” He gestured towards Kageyama’s frowning face as if that proved all his points. Rin thinks maybe it does. That Kageyama guy looked murderous.  
  


The waiter, Noya-san apparently, had an awkward smile as he patted the boy on the back. “Better check your food for poison next time Kageyama cooks for you, Shoyo. Just- be  _safe_.”

Shoyo crunched his face in confusion. Kageyama looked like he wanted to kill everyone in the room. Then, Shoyo seemed to shake himself out of it and blew out a breath. “Kageyamaaaa I want ice cream.” He whined, dropping his head on the table with a thud.

_“Ouch!”_

“Idiot,” Kageyama lightly touched Shoyo’s forehead, tips of his mouth twitching up. He seemed to lighten up immediately.

Noya just watched them with a fond smile, then he exclaimed “Well then! Senpai will be kind enough to treat you two to parfaits!”

“Senpai~ So nice~” Shoyo’s eyes shined brighter. Kageyama sat back, looking content. “Thank you, Noya-san.”

Rin was so engrossed in all of it that he did not notice Makoto rushing over to his table, panting tiredly as he sat down on the other side of the booth. “Makoto!.” Noya noticed him first, looking worried all of a sudden. “How’s-”

Makoto raised a hand, taking deep breaths to stabilize himself. “Everything’s fine.” He said, when he was ready. “The fire’s under control. Asahi-san’s just-”

And before he could finish that, a guy barreled in and hugged Noya, sending both of them toppling to the side. “I’m okay.” The guy said, breathless. This must be Asahi. “I’m fine.” He buried his head on Noya’s hair, clutching him tighter.

“Welcome back.” Noya said softly, pecking the man on the cheek.

Rin looked away, embarrassed to have seen that. Instead, he trained his eyes on the squirming guy in front of him.

And wow. Hel _lo there_.

“Hi.” Rin didn’t even have to try. His smile immediately turned predatory because  _yummy hot fireman_.

“Hello.” Makoto was looking down and for all the hotness, he was also acting way too cute. He had  _soot_ on the tip of his nose. And he was rubbing at it every few seconds like a cute little kid.

 _Ugh_. Rin wants to take him home and  _cuddle_ with him. What a dangerous guy. “I’m sorry I’m late. I was-”

“Saving the world.” Rin shrugged. “I noticed.” He gestured vaguely to the whole get up. “It looks good on you.”

Makoto’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment. “I couldn’t change because I- I was late. So…” He took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry.”

“Well, you can try harder next time.” Rin said, smirking.

“Next time?” Makoto blinked, and he looked hopeful as he stared at Rin.

Man, he’s so adorable Rin wants to eat him. In various different positions. Several times.

Rin patted his hand on the table. “Saving the world is important, superman.” He said, to lighten up the mode. Then with a joking huff, he said, “Now, buy me a parfait.”

Makoto’s whole face lightened up. “Yes!”


	96. preschool rin draws a shark for haru

_“Haru! Look! Isn’t this good? I bet you want it, right? Right?” Rin excitedly showed off his drawing, even moving his chair a few inches closer to Haru’s._

_Haruka looked at it, looking bored and sleepy. It was still a few minutes before nap time. “Hmm…” He hummed noncommittally, looking towards Makoto’s side and it was like he was begging for Makoto to please make time faster because he was sleepy and tired already. “Shark.” He said, glancing back, when Rin kept on staring at him in anticipation._

_Rin’s whole expression crumpled, and tears welled up in his eyes. “It’s not…” He sniffed, one small hand crumpling the side of his drawing as the other rubbed on his eyes. “It’s not a shark!”_

 

_Makoto, hearing the sobbing voice, immediately knelt at their side and placed a gentle hand on Rin’s back. “What’s the matter?”_

_“Haru said” He hiccuped. “-said my… said my… waaaah” He started crying harder, falling forward into Makoto’s chest and his small arms held on around Makoto’s neck as much as he can. “I- I did it for- uwaaaah I wanted- Haru likes dolphins! He said that! But- but-” He mumbled more words, clinging harder on Makoto as the teacher stood up and carried him to the meeting area where the mattress was already unraveled on the floor.  
_

_“Sshhh… It’s okay…” Makoto sat on the side of the mattress, getting Rin’s pillow from the cubbyhole and placing it beside them. “You don’t have to cry, Rin-chan.”_

_“But- But-” Rin spluttered on his neck. “But Haruuu… He-!”_

_Makoto rubbed his back gently, comfortingly, and let him talk into his neck. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Haruka crawling through the mattress and getting his own pillow. And then, he walked towards Makoto with a purposeful look of determination._

_“I’m sleepy.” He said, yawning. He glanced at Rin and said, “I wanna sleep next to Rin.”_

_Rin stiffened, holding on tighter to Makoto to a painful degree. “But… But…”_

_Haruka tugged on the back of his shirt. “We’re going to sleep.”_

_Makoto smiled and tapped Rin’s side. “Aren’t you tired?”_

_“Haruka said my dolphin was a shark.” He grumbled out as an answer._

_“I’m sorry.” Haruka suddenly said quietly, gripping Rin’s shirt harder. “Can we please sleep together now?”_

_Rin loosened his hold on Makoto and looked back at Haruka, watching as the other boy stared at him determinedly. “…fine.” He sniffed. “If you want.”_

_Haruka tugged at him again until Makoto placed Rin on his pillow and Haruka laid on his other side. Rin immediately placed an arm around Haruka, snuggling closer, and for the first time since the start of the school year, Haruka did not complain. Instead, he burrowed closer, letting his cheeks press against Rin’s._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part of "the soumako harurin fic of doom" series where sousuke is rin's dad and makoto is haruka's guardian (and also their preschool teacher)


	97. billboard [makonagirin gen??]

_The thing is, Rin was bad with feelings. Okay, not **all** feelings. He was good with embarrassment and self-hate and doubt and a good chunk of excitement.  He was bad with anger, and concern, and definitely gratefulness and regret. There was just something completely scary with standing in front of people, looking them in the eye and saying “thank you” or “sorry”._

_It was hard. To open up that much meant trusting them not to laugh at you or break your heart. He’s been misunderstood for so many times in his life, he’s grown cynical._

_But it was needed. Sorry and thank you were important words._

_So when he saw the billboard, he contacted the two immediately. [Come meet me at the station] he sent them. Makoto and Nagisa replied in affirmative immediately. They were curious, confused, but obviously indulging him. So he took one of their hands (physical touches were easy unlike how words are), and pulled them beside the building, using his head to motion towards the billboard on top._

__  


**_[THE PERSON STANDING BESIDE YOU, POINTING AT THIS BILLBOARD, HAS BROUGHT YOU HERE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HARD TO SAY “I’M SORRY” OUT LOUD]_ **

With a blushing face, he motioned towards a paper on the wall of the building.  **[AND “THANK YOU”]**. It was in Rin’s handwriting.

In response, the two softly smiled at him and kissed either of his cheeks.


	98. kissy face [nagirin]

_It was a tiring day. A very tiring day that ended with Rin not even coming close to his own record and falling down on the floor beside the pool. He actually fell. In front of the whole team. Nitori went all “SENPAI PLEASE DON’T DIE” on him. It was so bad._

_So of course, he was annoyed, frustrated at himself, and pretty much in the worst mood._

_He locked his door and flopped down his bed. Sousuke was out with Nitori and Momo, mostly to get them out of the school and give Rin some peace. He sighed. He would just have to rest and try not to replay the image of himself falling in front of his whole team. Yeah. Try not to think about how Iwaizumi was trying not to laugh. Or how Minami took out his phone either to take a picture or call the ambulance. Try not to think about-_

_Well shit. He can’t stop thinking about how awful that was._

_*KNOCK KNOCK*_

 

_Rin groaned and wondered if Sousuke wasn’t able to keep the boys away for more than five minutes. Nitori did look worried, and Momo was dying to talk about a joint session they should have with Iwatobi. “Who’s there?”_

_*KNOCK KNOCK*_

_Eh? Rin stood up and begrudgingly open the door._

_Only to be faced by…_

_**Himself**. Well, his face anyway. A mask of his face, complete with his sharp teeth and a glare. “I’ll…” The person stepped back and stretched out an arm towards him, brandishing a hand. His voice was obviously being forced into a lower tone to sound more like Rin. It was a pretty good impersonation. “I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before!”_

_And god. It was obvious. It was so obvious who it was. No one else would do something like this. There was only one person._

_Rin rolled his eyes and flicked his forehead before grabbing the mask. “Nagisa, stop-” He took off the mask._

_Only to be faced by…_

_A mackerel._

_A mackerel mask. Of all things. Nagisa stepped away one more time and gasped audibly. “RINRIN will you still love me even if I’m really this scaly?!”_

_It came out of nowhere. And- and Rin could not stop the laugh from escaping his lips. “Bwahahaha… What the hell?” He continued laughing, watching as Nagisa made flapping movements with his whole body like a fish out of water. “S-stop that! Hahaha…” He laughed until he had tears in his eyes._

_Nagisa moved forward then, taking off his mask and smiling brightly at Rin. “Tsk, tsk,” He snickered. “Someone knocking on your door and not answering? You should have **smelled something fishy**.” He bit his lip as if trying to stop himself from laughing._

_Rin groaned, but he still had small outbursts of laughter. He put his hands on either side of Nagisa’s face and squished it together, smirking. “You are the most annoying.” He said, laughter still clear in his tone._

_Nagisa just made kissy faces at him, scrunching his face into a fish face with his eyes shining with mirth._

_“You-” Rin had no explanation for it. Just- it felt like the right thing to do. He leaned down and kissed him. A simple brushing of lips. Chaste and sweet. He didn’t let go of his face even after leaning back. Squishing his face some more, his lips going all fish-like again, he said, “Thanks.”_

_Nagisa just smiled widely and put his hands on Rin’s shoulder, pulling him closer again. He kissed him once, just like how Rin did. “You’re welcome.”_


	99. shopping [nagirin]

_Rin had **banned** Nagisa from grocery shopping the moment they moved in together. It was a rule. Nagisa and groceries were a bad combination, because it always ended in an unhealthy amount of strawberry syrup and candies. The rule was there to stop them from a life of diabetes._

_Except Nagisa was a rule breaker. It was his thing._

_And Rin was… well, “whipped” was the term Sousuke used. “Unable to say no to Nagisa’s cuteness” as Makoto kindly phrased._

_“No. Just one more pack of candy and we’re going.” Rin groaned, eyeing the cart with disdain. “Ugh, you’re worse than Ran and Ren.”_

_Nagisa gasped dramatically and put a hand to his chest. “That hurts!” He exclaimed, though the phrase was betrayed by his barely-contained smile. “Excuse me! I pay for half of this!”_

_“And you eat three-fourths of it, at least.” Rin said flatly, pushing the cart away from Nagisa’s evil hands._

_“I object!” Nagisa followed suit, adding another pancake mix to the pile. “You eat a lot too! And you buy that expensive beef so we’re even!”_

_Rin rolled his eyes and walked to the next aisle. Baking materials. He sighed and took a few packs of flour. Baking powder. Chocolate chips._

_“Are you-” Nagisa was practically vibrating at his side._

_“Baking you something? Yes.” Rin glanced at him and watched as Nagisa’s expression blossomed to his brightest smile_

_“You’re the best, Rinrin!” Nagisa pushed the cart out of the way and proceeded to hug the hell out of Rin in the middle of the supermarket. “I love you so, so, soooo much.” He said, sighing happily._

_“You just love me for my baked goods.” Rin grumbled, though he was smiling now as well._

_Nagisa giggled and pressed a long, loud kiss on Rin’s cheek. “Your baked goods was a special bonus.”_


	100. babysitting [nagirin]

_When Rin agreed to help Nagisa babysit his sister’s daughter, he was ready for a hyperactive blonde girl like how he imagined Nagisa’s niece would look like. He was ready to run around trying to catch a ball of energy._

_What he was not ready for was a cute little brown-haired toddler with her hair up in pigtails and her front tooth missing. She had pink eyes like Nagisa, and they were as big as how his was when they were kids._

_He was ready for “little spawn of evil”. He was **not** ready for “cutest princess in the world”._

_Yume smiled shyly when he entered and Rin just melted on the spot. He kneeled down and she placed her hands on his cheeks and asked, “Rinrin?”_

_And Rin was just gone. Hazuki family won. Rin will now offer his soul to make sure this cute little girl would be happy and safe forever. “Hello, Yume.” He said. “I’m Rinrin.”_

_Nagisa was obviously trying to stop himself from laughing. Rin knew it from the sound he was making._

_Except when Rin looked back at him, having taken Yume into his arms and carried around, Nagisa was not laughing. Not even looking teasing or impish. He was- His whole expression was soft and needy and- contented. Happy. “Nagisa?”_

_“You would be the best dad ever.” Nagisa said, biting his lower lip. “Also, we should adopt a girl. After this. As soon as possible.” He walked closer, almost like it was a compulsion and not an intentional action. He leaned down and kissed Yume’s forehead. “You look good with a child.” He sighed. “So unfair.”_

_Rin laughed and shook his head. “Idio-” He cleared his throat. “Here,” He gave Yume to Nagisa before kissing Nagisa’s forehead. He stepped back and watch the two, with their matching wide, shiny eyes. “You look good with a child in your arms too.”_

_And god, looking at that, he can’t even help but think that Nagisa’s impulsive “let’s adopt a baby” plan was something he would definitely consider later._


	101. ice cream [nagirin but lowkey makonagirin]

_Makoto knew about Rin’s high standards in ice cream. When they were 12 and a new ice cream parlor opened near the train station, they all went there and Rin adamantly refused to buy anything, saying “What kind of ice cream shop doesn’t have **pistachio**?” That time, Makoto thought it was cool Rin could pronounce the words so well._

_Now though, it poses a serious problem for him._

_“What should I buy for you?” Makoto asked, squinting at the names inside the refrigerator beside the cashier. “Aren’t you-”_

_Rin looked down, scrunched up his nose and then sighed. “Strawberry.” He said it like he hated the word._

 

_“Are you sure?” Makoto blinked at him. “You don’t like-”_

_“It’s fine.” Rin shrugged. He went to the cashier and looked expectantly towards Makoto. After the order was said, Rin added, “Additional one spoon, please.”_

_And Makoto really had no idea why Rin would need another spoon. Does he break the spoon accidentally because of his teeth? Is that something that can happen? It felt weird to ask, so Makoto just let him be. They both walked over to the table where the relay teams of both Iwatobi and Samezuka were. Rin sat down beside Nagisa and Makoto took the only open seat, on Rin’s other side.  
_

_The waiter placed the tray down. Sweetened cone with chocolate ice cream for Momo and Nagisa. Coffee crumble ice cream cup for Sousuke and Nitori. One vanilla parfait for Haruka and Makoto. And the strawberry ice cream cup for Rin.  
_

_They all said thank you and started eating immediately. It was a hot summer day, so it was understandable._

_Except Rin was just chewing on his spoon with barely any ice cream on it. He was just staring outside with a spaced-out expression._

_“Rin, are you-” Makoto was really getting worried now._

_But before he could say anything, Nagisa had snatched the ice cream cup from Rin’s side and used the other spoon to scoop a large helping into his mouth. “Aaaah~” He sighed happily. “Strawberry really is the best~” He leaned his head to the side, his forehead touching Rin’s shoulder. “So delicious~”_

_“Uh,” Makoto stared at Nagisa, jaw gaping. “That’s-”_

_“Oi. That’s mine.” Rin said, but there was no heat in his voice. He actually sounded bored. Like this was not what he really thought._

_Nagisa stuck out his tongue and giggled. “You weren’t eating it anyway.”_

_Rin sighed and placed his spoon down on the napkin on the table. “Fine.” He said. “Don’t get a stomachache.”_

_Nodding immediately, Nagisa took another bite and smiled in complete bliss. He closed his eyes and moaned in delight. Rin stared at him with a soft, fond expression._

_Makoto thought back to a few minutes ago, when Nagisa was still choosing what flavor to buy. He was so confused and Rin had lightly smacked him on the head and said “just choose whatever”. Looking at Rin’s gentle expression, Makoto finally understood why Rin did all of this. “Such a softie.”_

_Rin looked at him, eyes curious. “What did you say?”_

_“Nothing.” Makoto laughed._

_“Rinrin! Rinrin!”_

_Rin frowned and turned back to Nagisa, only to have strawberry ice cream smeared on his nose. “What the hell?”_

_Nagisa laughed, pointing at Rin’s nose. “I wanted to give you a bite!” He said, still laughing._

_“Ugh.” Rin groaned and picked up a napkin, but was preempted when Nagisa just leaned forward and **licked the ice cream off the tip of his nose**. “NAGISA!” His whole face turned red. “You-!”_

_“But it’s a waste.” Nagisa said, pouting. “Here, have some.” He said, pushing a spoonful on Rin’s gaping mouth. “I don’t know why you didn’t eat all of it. Strawberry ice cream is the best.”_

_Rin scrunched up his nose and swallowed it before shaking his head. “I’m fine. Just eat it.”_

_Nagisa grinned, pointing the spoon at Rin’s face. “You **did** buy it for me!” He said triumphantly._

_“I didn’t.” Rin immediately denied. “I just didn’t have an appetite.”_

_“If you say so.” Nagisa continued grinning smugly, licking his spoon and quickly eating away at the ice cream. Once he was done, he leaned towards Rin again and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks anyway.”_

_Rin just continued blushing and fuming (it was fake, Makoto was sure it was 100% fake annoyance, which is his default Nagisa-related expression). “I didn’t buy it for you.”_


	102. surprise [harurin]

_With how long they danced around each other before they actually got together (Nagisa says they’ve been in love since they were 12 and it never stopped and Sousuke says Rin waiting for until he was 20 to actually confess was one of the most wasteful actions he’s ever done), Rin was sure he knew Haruka well enough. It would be difficult to have any more surprises, given how they’re “practically married” as Gou called them once._

_But apparently, Haruka had a hidden side Rin did not know._

_“Oh come on,” Rin pouted, flopping down the bed and rolling to his side to look at Haruka. “Momo was just joking.”_

 

_“Was he?” Haruka asked, voice flat but with an obvious tinge of disbelief.  
_

_“He is!” Rin said, reaching out an arm to drape on Haruka’s hip. “He’s just like that usually. You know how he is.”_

_Haruka pushed his arm away, turning on the other side and sighing. “So he kisses your cheek usually, huh…?” Now the annoyance was clear._

_Rin blinked. “Hm.” And then he sat up and peeked at Haruka’s side, trying to look at what his expression looks like. Haruka pushed at his face. “Oi, show me your face.” Rin grappled with his hand until he could see Haruka frowning deeply. “Eh? Are you… Are you **jealous**?”_

_“I’m not.” Haruka tried to push away from Rin and stand up, but Rin did not budge. “I’m not.” He repeated adamantly._

_“Heh.” Rin smirked. “Didn’t peg you to be a jealous type.” He chuckled, moving his body until he was draped on top of Haruka. “Since you’re always all ‘do what you want’ and stuff.”_

_Haruka glared. “I won’t be jealous if you stop making everyone fall in love with you.”_

_“I-! Hey, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who’s crazy enough to fall in love with me.” Rin spluttered indignantly._

_Another sigh. Haruka raised his arms and locked his hands on the nape of Rin’s neck, pulling him closer until their foreheads were touching. “Idiot.” He said fondly._

_“Don’t call me an idiot, idiot!”_


	103. daily hugs [nagirin]

Nagisa had a mission. A very important mission that involved stealth and deception.

“Come on, Nagisa. It’s not that-” Makoto was trying to explain to him why his mission was not really a real mission, but Nagisa thought Makoto probably did not know the importance of this. “Rin would-”

“He needs a hug. A long, full body hug.” Nagisa insisted, eyes trained on Rin on the other side of the pool “He’s so- He’s so- Stiff and frowny and grrr.” He scrunched up his nose. “When I was sad before, Rinrin hugged me. I want to do the same.”

Makoto’s expression softened. “Just don’t attack him from behind.” He said mildly.

“But he’s so guarded!” Nagisa protested. “He keeps on pushing my face and dodging me!” Taking a deep breath, he stood up and looked at Makoto’s direction with a determined expression. “I’ll do it. I’ll hug the hell out of him.”

 

_—-_

It was not an easy task. Rin was wariest of Nagisa, and he always knew when Nagisa was going to attack. Perhaps being in Australia gave him special powers? Or he has eyes in the back of his head?! Or he was mutated and-

“Stop muttering stupid things.” Rin, who was  _woah_  just beside him, spoke up and side-eyed him. “You’re twitchy when you’re planning something evil. I’m not a half-shark hybrid, stupid.”

Nagisa pouted. “I just want to hug you! Is that too much to ask for?!”

Rin stared at him, jaw gaping. “What.”

“You’re all stiff and weird and stressed! I want to give you a hug!” Nagisa said earnestly, inching closer as Rin stepped back.

“I don’t want a hug.”

“No, you  _need_  one.”

Rin opened and closed his mouth, looking unsure. “ _That_ was what you were doing? I thought you wanted to tackle me into submission or trip me or-“

“Hey!” Nagisa gasped, offended. “I’m not that bad! I won’t do that!”

“Really.” He flatly intoned. “I’m pretty sure you pushed Makoto and Sousuke into the pool last time without any warning.”

Nagisa pouted once again, taking another step forward. “This and that are different things!”

“ _Why_ would you give me a hug?” Rin asked, looking genuinely confused. “I don’t need a hug.”

“You do!” And with that, Nagisa decided talking was just overrated and went forward quickly. He wrapped his arms around Rin’s back and nuzzled his head on Rin’s chest. “Hugs are good.”

Rin stiffened for a second, but his arms immediately rose to clutch Nagisa’s back as well, as if on impulse. “I don’t get it.” He leaned his head down, speaking into Nagisa’s hair. “I-“

Nagisa just laughed quietly, hugging him tighter. “Do you feel better?”

“I-” Rin sighed. “Yeah.” He buried his face on Nagisa’s hair, breathing in deeply. “Thanks.” The ever present tension on his shoulders dissipated and he felt himself going all relaxed. “This is good.”

“See?” Nagisa grinned proudly. “Just go to me for your daily hugs, okay? I’ll destress you in a jiffy!”


	104. so close yet so far [soumako]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the backstory to this is that the entire soumako fandom were going crazy because sousuke and makoto were LITERALLY never in the same scene together, to the point that when sousuke left haru in one scene, makoto came in from the other side in the next second. it was hilarious tnx they are and will always be a meme

Sousuke did not understand it. After the regionals, and after Rin spirited Haru away into Australia for a few days, a new line of communication was made between Samezuka and Iwatobi. While the latter school had always seen the former as a rival, it was only after the captain himself kidnapped Haruka that the whole Samezuka team saw the other as an important existence.

There were complicated talks about  _“our captain’s heart is to be protected”_ and  _“Rin-senpai must find happiness”_ and  _“Gou-san would visit more if we b_ ecome  _closer_ ” (yeah, that last one was just Momo).

So a definite friendship formed. Nitori and Rei exchanged numbers and somehow found similarities ( _what similarities?_ ) that made them talk more, sometimes even outside of practice. Nagisa and Momo shared a very weird, very noisy walk in the woods at the back of Samezuka and came back as friends (who had  _matching beetles_ ). Haruka offered Sousuke dinner a few times. (It was mackerel. Delicious enough.) Makoto and Rin found solidarity in being captains who needed to handle Nagisa and Momo.

Everyone interacted. Nitori and Nagisa. Nitori and  _Haruka_  (they raced a few times in freestyle and  _Haruka smiled_ ). Momo and Rei (Rei baked Momo cookies for some reason. Sousuke was very confused about how friendship works for the Iwatobi boys). Nitori and Makoto (they’re the really sweet, really awkward friendship that makes Gou want to coo). Momo and Makoto (there’s a definite little brother-big brother feel to their talks outside of competition). Even  _Momo and Haruka_  (No. One. Understands. It).

Everyone interacted. Except for two people, that is.

Sitting in his apartment in Tokyo after a ridiculously long day looking at kids’ swimming forms, he wondered why he was even thinking about this. Maybe it was his new job and how it was basically the same thing Tachibana did back in Iwatobi?

Having been ‘kicked out’ by his dad to find a job, Sousuke had went to Tokyo immediately to ask friends to shelter him for a while, and he’d found this great coaching post at a swimming club quite similar to Sasabe’s. It was owned by one of his teachers back in the day. Perhaps it was guilt for not knowing about his injury, but Sousuke just accepted the job for what it is. A job to pay for his adult life from now on. He was now independent and he needed the money.

That was something similar too, he remembered. Haruka, on one of their dinners, had mentioned that Tachibana’s dad was against him going away and his whole family just wanted him near. It sounded nice, but as much as Tachibana was glad about his family’s love, he also told them that he wanted to live on his own. That guy really pulled off the whole “I want to stand on my two feet” speech well, Haruka had said.

Sousuke sighed. Thinking about it just-

*RING*

Staring at his phone with narrowed eyes, he wondered briefly if he should answer. It could be Rin, which was always a good thing. Or it could be Momo, which was always a bad and tiring thing.

“Hello? Sousuke speaking.” He answered it without much pause. No use worrying about little stuff.

“Sousuke-senpai!”

Oh. Nitori. Neutral grounds. Often good, sometimes bad. Depends on who he wants to talk about or why he called. (He was crying about Momo’s beetle crawling into his bed once and Sousuke doesn’t feel good about it but he hung up on him. He did call Rin to make him contact Nitori, so at least he’s not  _that_  bad.)

“Yes?” He asked cautiously.

Nitori laughed, probably understanding his tone. “I just wanted to congratulate you on your first day at work!” He gushed. “You’re so near Rin-senpai’s university too so I’m sure you could meet better!”

He smiled then, relaxing. “We’re probably going to meet when he comes back from his training camp.”

“Oh.” Nitori paused for a moment, seemingly thinking. “So you haven’t celebrated, huh? Maybe you should celebrate with Tachibana-senpai instead.”

“Tachibana?” Sousuke raised an eyebrow. “Why would he-”

“Oh!” Nitori exclaimed, a sound coming from the other line like he just snapped his fingers. “You- Oh. You never really got to know each other, right?” He asked. “I’ve always wondered about that. You got sick on his birthday celebration and he was sick for your goodbye bash and…” He trailed off.

Sousuke knew that tone. “It’s not destined by the stars, Nitori.”

“Senpai!” The younger boy scolded him like he did something wrong. “It’s too suspicious!”

“Maybe he hates me.” Sousuke shrugged. Who knew? Maybe he thought Sousuke bullied his best friend and refused to talk to him out of spite. That sounds like something understandable. Though, arguably, Tachibana did not seem the type.

“He doesn’t!” Nitori exclaimed, sounding scandalized. “He always asks about you! About your shou- uh, well your  _well-being_.” He mumbled the last part, embarrassed about his slip up. It’s been more than a year but the pain of the injury would not magically go away despite Sousuke’s contentment with his current life. Physical pain sometimes brought back the memories and dreams, even when Sousuke tucked them into the deepest corners of his mind. “I’m sorry.” Nitori muttered, taking Sousuke’s silence as anger.

“No…” Sousuke said softly. “I’m fine now. You know that.”

Nitori was silent for a beat or two. “Yeah, you are.” He said, just as softly. A sigh. “I’ll be off, then. Call us when you’re visiting Sano, okay? Momo-kun’s been getting jealous of you answering my calls.”

“…I don’t even want to know.” Sousuke said, chuckling. Was Momo jealous because Sousuke answered Nitori’s calls or because Nitori talked to Sousuke a lot? The mysteries of that child, really. “Bye.”

“Bye. Take care, ne senpai?”

—

_“Sad thing Mako-chan couldn’t come…” Nagisa said, head propped on Sousuke’s shoulder like he was too tired to raise his head. “You always have the bad timing.”_

_“Sorry I was born on this day.” Sousuke deadpanned._

_Nagisa just rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying! You know what Ai-chan would say about this?”_

_“No.” Sousuke closed his eyes, feeling the distinct start of a kohai-induced headache. “Just stop.”_

_“The stars could not align for you to meet.” Nagisa said, voice deep and obviously trying to sound spooky. “Did you notice how you’re never at one place at one time? Unless we’re all together in a room?”_

_“I don’t take attendance of everyone.” Sousuke answered, though he really could not think of a time when they were alone._

_“You came in the shower room about 5 seconds after Mako-chan came out yesterday! It was like magic!” Nagisa’s eyes were wide, and it was obvious he was thinking of something ridiculous. Momo and Nagisa being friends did not help that characteristic one bit. “Are you and Mako-chan secretly-”_

_But before he could finish that, Nagisa’s phone rang and Sousuke used that time to escape his crazy ideas._

—

Sousuke should have known this would happen. Nitori was a prophet in disguise. “Tachibana?” He asked, stepping out of his apartment and catching sight of a man fixing his laces on the hallway. “You-”

“Yamazaki-kun!” Tachibana’s eyes widened and he looked irrationally happy to see Sousuke. They weren’t even  _friends_. “Oh wow,” He gasped. “It’s so nice to see you. I didn’t know you lived here too.” Ah, perhaps he was glad to see a familiar face. Tachibana has lived in a closely-knitted social circle in a countryside, after all.

“Yeah, I didn’t know you were renting an apartment either.” Sousuke said. “I thought for sure you would have in a dorm like Rin.”

Tachibana’s  _ears_  turned  _red_. That was strangely adorable. “Living independently, you know?” He shrugged awkwardly. “I wanted to prove myself.”

This was such a personal revelation happening in his apartment hallway, and Sousuke felt like that’s a bit wrong. So. “Going to class?” He asked, aiming for casual. “Your university is near my workplace. We could walk together. Catch up.”

“I’d like that.” Tachibana nodded.

—

_“Aaand here comes Sou-chan!” Nagisa exclaimed as soon as the door was opened. Momo was sparkly-eyed as he stared at him. Rei was just side-eyeing Nagisa with disbelief. “I told you!”_

_“That doesn’t prove anything.” Rei said._

_“What?” Sousuke asked,  watching as Nagisa shook his head at Rei and snickered, and as Momo darted forward in excitement._

_“Tachibana-senpai was just here! Literally a second ago! And then Yamazaki-senpai appeared!” Momo exclaimed. “Like magic!”_

_Sousuke really did not know what to do with that statement. “I saw him get out, yes.” He nodded. They greeted each other_ good morning _and all. Nagisa was making a big deal out of nothing._

—

“You know,” Makoto started as they walked their common route to their respective destinations. “I always thought you didn’t like me.”

Sousuke couldn’t help but stop and stare at the other boy. “Huh?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem the case.” Makoto shrugged, stopping as well, smiling that self-deprecating smile of his. “I just thought, you know, you didn’t like me and that’s why you didn’t talk to me much. We never hung out. I just thought-”

“You were never there.” Sousuke cut him off, eyebrows furrowing. “You… were always out of the room before I come in.”  _Like magic._

“Like magic.” Makoto said, like he could  _actually read minds._ (Sousuke thought that was a joke!) "Nagisa told me that once. After I came in while you were going out of the cafe near the train station. I think your father called you to go somewhere.“

 _Oh._  "Nagisa told me too.” He said. “Like magic.”  
  
“He’d go crazy when he finds out we live in the same apartment.” Makoto laughed.  
  
“ _If_  he finds out.” Sousuke said, walking forward once again. He would rather keep his Tokyo apartment kohai-free, thank you very much. If Nagisa finds out, Rei and Momo would. And then it would be chaos.

Makoto hummed at that, seemingly thoughtful. He resumed walking alongside Sousuke. His smile was mischievous when he said “Yeah,  _if._ ”

Somehow, Sousuke thought keeping their apartment a secret was a great idea right now.

—

And so it went. The first real conversation they had in the two years they’ve known each other.

It was late and filled with misunderstanding but it was good.

Makoto found a familiar face to keep him at ease when the stress gets too much and Sousuke found a new friend to talk to when his new 'adult’ life made him feel tired. They ate together when Makoto needed someone to wake him up for his papers. They stayed in Makoto’s room to play video games when Sousuke felt particularly exhausted.

Makoto shared tips on how to handle children, having studied courses for child care in his university. Sousuke shared stories of his own, things he could laugh about after everything that happened.

Sometimes, Sousuke would wake up with tears in his eyes, waking up from nightmares of the  _Olympics_ and  _drowning_ and  _his limbs being torn apart piece by piece_. And he would walk the few steps to the next door, ring the bell and feel like a little child, lost and scared and in need of a hug.

Sometimes, Makoto would feel homesick, would think  _I can’t do this_ , would think  _I never should have went away,_ would think  _I just want to go home_. And he would walk the few steps to the next door, ring the bell and feel like a little child again, lost and scared and in need of a hug.

Sometimes, they would curl up in front of the TV, watch silly shows and not talk about anything. Not about their broken dreams or their long-missed friends. They would stay like that, and it would be all the comfort they needed. The presence of someone near, someone who was willing to share the pain, who understood the worries and sadness, was enough.

(Sometimes they would fall asleep on the floor in front of the couch- Makoto’s head on Sousuke’s left shoulder, Sousuke’s head leaning on him- and sometimes they would wake up with lighter hearts and questions about who would make coffee.

Sometimes they would laugh and laugh and laugh together and look at each other and think  _I’m so glad you’re here._ )

It was out-of-the-blue. It was not something any of them expected. It was year late.

But it was  _good_.


	105. oops i tripped on my keyboard [harurin]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has almost 600 notes in tumblr so i was tempted to post it on its own, but y'know what???? nobody cares so. it's here for archival purposes.
> 
> [oh someone did draw this tho](http://kuraikurage.tumblr.com/post/99917525793/oops-i-tripped-on-my-tablet) which is the greatest gift ever

“Rin?” Makoto, Sousuke and Haruka sat huddled in front of the laptop, staring at the black screen in their skype window. “Rin? I can’t see you.”

Rin’s voice comes out from their speakers static-y, “ _Don’t touch”_ he said in English. “ _I’m trying to-”_

 _“Oh?”_ There’s a single amused voice in the midst of chuckles in the background. “ _You trying to talk to your boyfriend? Which one?”_

“ _Give it back! Come on, Joe!”_ Rin was speaking English so it was hard to understand, but he sounded like he was pouting.  _“Stop fucking around, asshole._ ”

Joe just laughed and shot back,  _“I’ll give it back if you tell us which one._ ”

Another voice spoke up this time, an older voice. “ _Joe, come on, we all know who it is.”_  The man said.  _“The one with the eyes as clear as water, right?”_

 

 _“Mr. Brown!”_  Haruka narrowed his eyes at the screen. He had heard Rin’s coach was named Mr. Brown.  _“He’s not my boyfriend! Come on, just give it back.”_ Rin was obviously sulking now.

 _“I would join this conversation if only I could see you too.”_ Haruka said in fluent English.  _“If you could please just fix the camera…”_

 _“Holy fucking shit!”_  Rin sounded panicked and then there was a crash. After a few seconds, Rin’s face appeared on the screen.  _“Holy shit._ ”

“Stop cursing in front of Makoto.” Haruka said flatly, obviously unamused. Sousuke just rolled his eyes at that, while Makoto chuckled and smiled at Rin. “Rin!” Makoto greeted happily.

“Hey,” Rin greeted back dazedly, eyes still obviously on Haruka. “When did you learn English that fluently?”

Haruka looked away and seemed to be refusing to answer so Sousuke spoke up for him. Making Haruka embarrassed was one Sousuke’s hobbies. (Makoto calls him out on it, but that’s part of the fun.) “He learned the moment you left. He’s just shown you now since he deemed it right to show off in front of your teammates, probably.”

“It’s not like that.” Haruka said, turning towards Sousuke to glare at him. “I’m not that fluent yet. I was just-”

“Haru just wanted your teammates to give the laptop back already.” Makoto explained properly. “Since we haven’t talked in such a long time.” His smile showed how much he missed Rin. They all did.

Rin sighed and stood up, bringing the laptop with him as he walked towards the door. “I just need to get out of her-”

“ _Hey!”_  Joe, apparently a tall brunette, was not over yet though. He placed an arm around Rin’s shoulder and halted his movements. “ _Introduce us to your boyfriend and your friends. Hi! I’m Joe!”_

Haruka grimaced and glanced at Makoto as if he wanted to close the laptop on Joe’s face, so Makoto hastily said “ _Uh, hi Joe! We- we are verry…_ Haru!”

With a sigh, Haruka faced the camera and said,  _“We are pleased to meet you, Joe._ ”

“ _So, you’re the boyfriend, huh?_ ”

“ _Maybe_.”

Rin’s eyes were wide and he was shocked enough that he straightened up and dislodged Joe’s arm. “Haru!  _Boyfriend_ means koibito, okay? It’s not a boy who is a friend. You’re gonna-”

“I think he understands it perfectly, Rin.” Sousuke remarked dryly, eyeing the scene in amusement. Makoto was smiling with that happy expression as well, and did not comment about any of this.

“Thi-this is not a conversation we should be having in front of my whole team and my coach.” Rin stammered, his whole face turning red. Multiple guys wolf whistles in the background, even though Haruka was sure they did not understand Japanese at all. They were probably reacting to how obvious Rin’s expression was.

 _“I’m his boyfriend.”_ Haruka said, looking directly at Joe.

With a chuckle, Sousuke added, “ _So no touch.”_

There was a chorus of laughter as Rin almost dropped the laptop on the floor in embarrassment. “You guys!”


	106. new dream [future soumako]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think i wrote this is relation to the fic two chapters ago "so close yet so far"?? maybe idk. all future soumako fics are most likely related bec they exist in my brain in the folder "uni soumako bffs"

“It’s great that you’re still swimming. I’m glad you got the coaching job, Yamazaki-kun.” Makoto smiled at him and poured him a cup of sake.

Sousuke looked awkward as he took the cup and sipped it. “Well, it was a coincidence. It’s… just there to pay for my bills.”

Makoto immediately frowned. “But- but your dream…”

“My dream was to swim in the world-wide scale, and to be there with Rin when we win the Olympics.” Sousuke interjected, bitterness clear in his voice. “And that’s gone now.”

There was silence as Makoto thought carefully of what to say. “And you don’t have a dream anymore?” He asked gently with no judgement in his tone. Just concern and a little bit of sadness.

Sousuke let out a long sigh. He placed his cup down and answered, “I don’t see the point of it. Rin said I should go for it too, that I should try, but the doctors told me how bad it was.” He shrugged, acting casual even though his voice and his expression showed how miserable he felt about it. “Even if I keep swimming, I’m only at this point.”

“That’s-!” Makoto was about to exclaim something, but caught himself immediately. He bit his lip, eyeing the other man with worry. Looking down on his own cup, he realized he had something he wanted to say, after all. “You know, I used to dream of never leaving Haru-chan, of being able to swim with him wherever he may go.” He started, and Sousuke looked at him weirdly, as if the change of topic was disconcerting him. “I ran with him and trained hard, but he kept being more and more amazing until all I saw was his back.” He smiled wryly, simply looking back at his teenage self with fondness. “So when I realized I wasn’t at his level, you know what I thought?” He faced Sousuke then, because he wanted to look him in the eye for this. “That it was useless, that I lost sight of my dream, that I was  _only at this point_.”

Sousuke looked away, seemingly unable to keep Makoto’s gaze. “And you settled for teaching.” He said quietly.

“No.” Makoto shook his head, because that was clear to him. He needed Sousuke to understand that. “I found a new dream.” He explained. “I’m not  _only_  at this point. I’m at this point because I stepped forward in this direction. I chose my own path. It’s  _my_  dream, it’s what I can do  _for myself_.” Sousuke looked back at him now, tentative and unsure in a way that Makoto never saw before. Makoto smiled reassuringly and added, “I didn’t settle for anything, and you shouldn’t, too.” Schooling his expression to his standard ‘scolding teacher’ expression, he ended with, “Please don’t ever use the word  _just_ on my dream job.”

A slow smile appeared on Sousuke’s face and he nodded, just a bit. “Yes, Tachibana-sensei.” He jokingly replied. It was a clear attempt to lighten the mood. He took a deep breath before facing Makoto again. “It’ll be hard, but I’ll try finding it. My new dream.”

“That’s the spirit.” Makoto chuckled and clunked their cups in a toast. “Let’s drink to that.”

(Sitting there, with Makoto enthusiastically talking about the kids at the Swim Club they would be teaching, Sousuke thinks maybe finding a new dream won’t be so hard after all.)


	107. apartment complex au excerpt [reinagirin]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the single cutest fic i have ever written in my entire life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is one part of the "flower boys apartment complex" au where Amakata owns an apartment complex that she only rents to good looking boys. (All The Boys live in the apartment complex and also they're all in love)

Rin was not sure how Nagisa got hold of his schedule, but somehow the boy always knew when Rin’s day off would be. And since, according to him  _“_ _Rin-chan is lonely when alone and he should always have company”_ , Nagisa had decided that every free day Rin has would be spent with the people in the apartment. (If there was anyone in this whole apartment who could gather everyone into a room for a day of bonding, it was Nagisa. He was a menace, but he was also treated like an angel by everyone, even by the younger guys like Nitori and Momo.)

“I’m telling you! I’m not lonely!” Rin said as he tried to close the door on Nagisa’s face. And well, it wasn’t  _exactly_  a lie. He was pretty bummed with being alone, but he at least had DVDs to watch and late-night dramas to catch up to, and he had to hold up the pretense that he had a life outside of writing manga. Letting Nagisa do whatever he wants would lead to trouble for the rest of his life. “Besides!” He narrowed his eyes. “It’s suspicious when it’s  _just you_!”

Nagisa pouted at that, still holding on to the door tightly and keeping his foot inside Rin’s room. “But Haru-chan is busy in his restaurant, Momo-chan and Ai-chan are out location hunting, Sou-chan is in a soul-searching journey, and Mako-chan is in a Teaching Seminar! It’s only the three of us!”

“Soul search- what?” Rin spluttered, but quickly shook his head and focused at the matter at hand. One at a time; that was the strategy to use for dealing with Nagisa. “No, actually, never mind. What do you mean  _three_?”

“Oh!” Nagisa brightened, one of his hands letting go of the door to pull at something behind him. It was Rei. “You thought Rei-chan was sleeping in the laboratory as usual, huh? But no!” His grin widened. “The elusive Rei-chan will join us today! So let us in!”

 

There was clearly a solution for this. “Just go eat with Rei, then! Have fun!” Rin tried to push the door more, but this time, even Rei helped out so the door opened a bit wider instead.

“Rin-san, actually…” Rei spoke up for the first time, using a weirdly apologetic tone of voice. “I might have… um, well, you see,”

That hesitance made Rin open the door to face the guy. This sounded important. “What happened?”

“I kind-of, and this was  _completely an accident_ … I dropped a few chemicals that was-”

Rin gaped at him for a few seconds before bluntly asking, “Did you just explode your room  _again_?”

“N-not explode!” Rei immediately protested. “It’s just bad to inhale those things, so I have to clean it up properly in the morning before I can stay there…”

Nodding, Rin then asked, “You don’t have anywhere to sleep at today?”

“Well,” Rei scratched his cheek, speaking with a bashful expression. “I already asked Nagisa-kun to let me sleep on his couch but he was convinced that we should check on you first.” He answered truthfully, glancing over at the excited expression on Nagisa’s face. “I would hate to break such an… important tradition.” Rei was the newest tenant, and perhaps he saw how many times Nagisa barged in Rin’s room and thought it was a habitual thing. (Rin really does not think so, but everyone has accepted it as tradition.)

Nagisa was practically bouncing on his heels, eyes shining with that glint that meant he had so many things planned right now. “That said,” he ducked in quickly, evading Rin’s arm and successfully infiltrating Rin’s room. “We are gonna have a slumber party!” He threw both arms up in the air as he ran towards the couch.

Rin groaned. “I regret all the choices that brought me here.” He said, but he opened the door wider to motion Rei in.

“Seconded.” Rei said as he bowed his head and followed the two.

**\- - -**

Truth be told though, nothing was ever lonely when Nagisa was in the room. The younger man had this way of making everything seem light and easy. Rin, who had taken a break from writing because of a slump, felt the heavy atmosphere in his room lift and dissipate without a trace as soon as Nagisa picked the phone and rattled his order to the Chinese Restaurant nearby. Rei also looked calmer as soon as he was seated on the couch beside Nagisa.

Rin settled on the beanbag beside the couch, deciding to just enjoy the moment now that he was here.

“So then, earlier, I was in this bus full of kids, right?” Nagisa spread his arm at both sides as if explaining how big the bus was or how many kids there were. “I told them we can’t take pictures with some of the animals, because they were scared of too much light and then! One of the kids suddenly burst out crying!” His face scrunched up expressively as he gestured his hand some more. “So I panicked! And then, and then-”

Rin looked over at Rei with a faint smile, raising his eyebrow in his usual  _‘oh Nagisa’_  way. Rei chuckled and shrugged, agreeing to the sentiment. They both went back to watching him and listening to his story with fond smiles on their faces. No matter how they try to act tough, the two understood each other’s feelings really well. No one can ever say no to Nagisa’s stories. It was just not humanly possible to ignore Nagisa’s enthusiasm. And perhaps because Rin and Rei were his usual targets, the two gained a camaraderie and their own Nagisa-related sign-system consisting of moving their eyebrows and sighing in unison.

“So when we arrived at this huuuuge cave-” Nagisa’s story was cut off when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Rin said, standing up and rushing over to the door. Rei immediately followed though, for some reason. “Rei?” He looked questioningly at the guy.

Rei chuckled. “You’d need the help, right?”

Rin thought back to how long Nagisa was ordering. “Ah, yeah.” He laughed as well. “Thanks.”

**\- - -**

Despite how much food was ordered, everything was finished by the time Nagisa ended his story. (There was a kid who was hissing at a snake and Nagisa, with wide eyes, explained that maybe it was a descendant of Harry Potter. There was also a single parent who gave Nagisa her number, and at that one, Rei and Rin almost  _hissed_  themselves.) Rin lied on the beanbag, patting his full stomach contentedly. “Aaah~ I don’t wanna stand up anymore~” He sighed out, staring at the ceiling.

“It’s okay!” Nagisa immediately stood up, saluting before walking off to his kitchen.

“What was that?” Rin asked, sitting up to peek at what was Nagisa doing.

With a clear knowledge of the set-up of the room, Nagisa marched to one of the cupboards and took out one garbage bag. “I know  _everything_  about this room.” He told Rei smugly when he plopped back down on the couch. “I’m a Rin-chan expert, after all.” He leaned forward and whispered, “He doesn’t have  _any_  porn, because he’s an innocent child at heart.”

Rei, with his face as red as Rin’s hair, placed both his hands on his ears and exclaimed, “I don’t need to know that!”

“Eh~” Nagisa pouted. “But it’s interesting. I think the Kou in his manga is actually the inner 17 years old young girl inside Rin-chan.”

“W-wait!” Rin was staring wide-eyed at Nagisa. “How do you know everything about my room?!” Ignoring the Kou quip was better than talking more about it.  _One at a time, one at a time._

Nagisa snickered, moving forward to pat Rin on the shoulder. “Oh, Rin-chan…” He sighed dramatically. “You’ve completely forgotten about  _that night_ , huh?”

Rei leaned forward, a scandalized gasp escaping his lips. “ _That night_ _?_ ” He asked, gaze darting to the two suspiciously.

A few second passed, with Rin thinking deeply about what the hell it was and with Nagisa looking increasingly amused. Then, not being able to stop it anymore, Nagisa burst out laughing. “Rei-chan, it’s not like that!” He said between bursts of laughter. “There was one day when everyone got drunk, I think Rei-chan wasn’t here yet. They left me to take care of Rin-chan because he was  _really_ drunk.” He giggled, looking nostalgic all of a sudden. “I told Rin-chan to sleep but he was all…” He cleared his throat and lowered his voice into an actual good imitation of Rin’s. “He was all  _’No, no! I will_ _tour you. I will be **your**_ _tour guide.’_ ” He stopped to laugh some more at Rin’s horrified expression. “I honestly thought it was a pick up line, but it was just Rin-chan being a dork. He showed me his shoujo manga collection and the pictures under his-”

Rin shot forward, clamping a hand on Nagisa’s mouth. “Do. Not. Tell. Anyone.” He felt Nagisa smile on his hand and then, somehow as expected, he licked Rin’s palm. “Nagisa!” He exclaimed, letting the younger man go.

“Okay, okay,” Nagisa seemed to have settled down a bit, but his smile was still ridiculously big. “It’s our secret.”

Rei raised an eyebrow, obviously curious but not sure whether he really wants to know. In the end, he settled with “I can imagine Rin-san doing that.”

Nagisa elbowed him lightly and laughed. “Right? It was super cute!”

“I doubt it.” Rin muttered, cringing at the idea of him drunkenly pulling Nagisa around the room and quite possibly gushing about the books he had on the shelves. He probably looked pathetic and immature.

Sharing an  _‘_ _oh Rin-chan_ _’_  look, Rei and Nagisa simultaneously rolled their eyes. Nagisa leaned towards Rei and whispered, “He seriously doubts it”. To which Rei whispered back, “He doesn’t see it at all, does he?”

Rin crossed his arms, looking indignantly at the two. “What do you even mean by that?”

They shared another look before sighing. “He doesn’t.” Nagisa nodded. He faced Rin and said slowly, “Rin-chan, if we vote on who is the cutest tenant in the whole complex, you’re going to win.”

“Huh?!” Rin spluttered, jaw falling open. “That’s  _you_ , isn’t it?!”

“Awww,” Nagisa cooed, his whole face lighting up in delight. “He thinks I’m cute!” He said, directing it to Rei. “Rin-chan thinks _I’m_ _cute_.”

Rei chuckled a bit. “You are cute, Nagisa-kun.” He said. “But yes, I do believe Rin-san would win the contest hands-down. Yamazaki-san, Haruka-san, Momotarou-san and Nitori-san would vote for him for sure. And well, pretty much everyone else, right?”

“This conversation does not make sense, you know that?” Rin said, frowning.

Nagisa let his head fall down on Rei’s shoulder, moaning in frustration. “Rin-chan, you should stop internalizing your protagonist’s ideas.” He said. “Even though it adds to your charm.”

“Charm?!” Rin plopped down on his back, focusing on the ceiling once again. “You know what? I quit this conversation.” He sighed. “I’m gonna pretend none of that happened.”

With a giggle and a light pat on Rin’s leg meant to be comforting, Nagisa stood up. “I’ll go get the futons. Rei-chan, help me?”

Rin groaned. “Don’t you dare show him anything!” He shouted to their backs as they disappeared into his room.

**\- - -**

The three ended up pushing the table out of the way and placing two futons on the floor in front of the TV. They sat on the futons side-by-side and watched a few episodes of the dramas Rin has been catching up on, with Nagisa chattering about the characters and explaining to Rei about each chracter backstory. Rin listened on in amusement as Rei asked increasingly specific questions and as Nagisa got less and less answers.

“Did the body get left behind in a summer day when the humidity could have affected the assumed time of death?”

“What was the probability that the hair sample they got was a fluke, given that it was just taken from a brush in her room without any reason to believe that she was the only one who used it?”

“Does the police force not see how that detective is tampering the evidences by doing that or are they blind?”

“Rei-chan, shut up!” Nagisa hid his face with his hands, groaning. “You’re thinking too much!”

Rin just chuckled to himself, nudging Nagisa’s leg with his foot. “To be fair,” he said, grinning. “His questions make sense.”

“Right?!” Rei said, pointing to the screen while looking at Rin with excited eyes. “Being a critical viewer is important!”

“You’re such a nerd.” Nagisa sighed, fondness clear in his voice. He lightly kicked at Rin’s foot and added, “And Rin-chan, don’t spoil him.”

“Not spoiling him.” Rin shrugged. “Just saying he has a point.”

Nagisa scrunched up his nose and stared at Rin with judging eyes, then turned to Rei to do the same. “I am friends with nerds.” He muttered as he brought his attention back to the TV.

“I’m a scientist.” Rei reminded him, his lip quirking to the side as he did so. “I think it’s a given.”

“Writer.” Rin said, pointing to himself, as if that gave him free pass. (Nagisa would argue that it is  _not_.)

The judging eyes got turned up to eleven. “And I’m a tired tour guide who wants to watch in peace.”

Rei actually looked embarrassed then, ducking his head down and muttering an apology.

Seeing that, Rin slapped Nagisa’s shoulder, frowning. “Look what you did.” He hissed, narrowing his eyes.

Nagisa pouted and placed a hand on Rei’s cheek, pinching it lightly. “Rei-chan, no.” He said. “ _Okay_ , we like it when you do that,“ he admitted. "So you don’t have to say sorry.” He pinched harder one last time before letting go and leaning his head on Rei’s shoulder. “Just do your thing. But slower. I can’t answer everything.” He smiled softly then, patting Rin’s leg. “Though, Rin-chan really should help. Nerds helping out each other.”

“We’ll discuss the murder method later when Nagisa’s asleep.” Rin promised, chuckling.

With a smile, Rei nodded. “Okay!”

\- - -

And so, that night, the three fell asleep on two futons, Rin and Rei sleeping on either side and Nagisa basically on top of the two. It was not the most comfortable of positions, but when Rin woke up, he thought it wasn’t that bad after all.

“Let’s do this again next time.” Rin whispered.

“We should.” Rei agreed, yawning sleepily.

“Of course,” Nagisa moaned, tightening his hold on the two. “Now, back to sleep~”

The two smiled and leaned in closer to Nagisa’s warmth.


	108. 3 am phone call [harurin soumako]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by that one iconic globe-trotting harurin interview quote

The skies outside were dark and Makoto felt really sluggish when he woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. A quick look to the clock by his bedside indicated it was 3 a.m.  _Three a.m._  Who calls other people at three in the morning? Who is even  _awake_ at three in the morning?

 _Rin_ , apparently, if the name in his phone is real and this is not a dream. He stared at it for a few seconds, but the ringing did not stop. He hastily clicked on the button to receive the call.

“ _Oh my god, Makoto_.” Rin was using his English-speaking voice. And with that, memories became clearer in Makoto’s head. Rin is in  _Australia_. Training with Haruka and the other swimmers in their team. “ _Makoto_.”

He gripped the phone harder in fear. “Is- is something wrong?” He asked, senses waking up as he felt panic surge through him. “Are you alright? Is Haruka-”

“ _Haruka_.” Rin breathed out, seeming to calm himself down. “I’m in love with Haruka.” He sounded awed, surprised, not near-death.

Makoto groaned. “Rin, it’s 3 a.m.”

“I know.” Rin didn’t sound like he understood the severity of calling a person on a Saturday morning at 3 a.m. the night after said person just crashed the last night of his final exams. Rin had  _no idea_. At all. “But, Makoto, I’m  _in love_.” He said it as if it was relevant to anything right now. Which, it was not.

Makoto is not a morning person. But he at least tries to be a decent friend all the time, so instead of hanging up like what his body was telling him to do, he said, “Okay? So…?”

 

“I’m traveling the world with Haruka.” Rin continued, still with that quietly awed voice.

“Yes?” Makoto narrowed his eyes at the window, trying to decipher why this call was being made and why Rin sounded like that at all. “You’ve been traveling with Haru for 6 months.”

“I’m traveling the world with  _the person I’m in love with._  Wow.”

Makoto was really starting to get concerned here. “Rin, are you drunk? Are you high? Did something-”

“No, no,” Rin was quick to soothe him. “No, I just-” He let out a long, shuddering breath. “I had a nightmare and I woke up and I looked at the side of my bed and Haruka was there and-”

“Why is he in your-”

Rin shushed him with a breezy “It’s a tradition. Long story.” He let out another sigh. “Anyway, I saw Haruka and I felt,  _you know_ , peaceful. Like this,  _this_ , is everything I need in my life. And I want to keep it that way, to keep  _him._ ”

Despite the randomness of the call and the time and the developing headache, Makoto could not help but smile softly at that. Only Rin, really. Only Rin could go on a 6 months trip with the person he has been crushing on since  _forever_  and not realize his own feelings until he’s waking up with the guy on his bed. (Which, for starters, why? That is a story Makoto really needed to get from Haruka.) The romantic early morning Eureka moment was such a Rin-thing, it’s ridiculous.

“I’m happy for you.” Makoto said sincerely, not knowing what else to say.

“No, but-” Rin made a distressed noise, a sound so much like a wounded animal that Makoto felt the urge to go there and build a pillow fort around the guy. Isn’t that a surprise? Makoto used to only have that feeling for real animals  _and_  Haruka. Now, Rin was clearly in his Must Protect Forever list.  _Oh, Rin_. “But I’ve just figured it out and this changes  _everything_ , Makoto. Everything! What if I- What if he doesn’t-”

Makoto now had the urge to go there and hit Rin on the head. It’s a surprisingly novel feeling. “I assure you, Rin, if you talk to him in the morning, he would tell you how much he feels the same way.”

“How are you  _sure_ about that?!” Rin asked, voice still quiet but panicky.

Makoto sighed and was about to answer when Sousuke, who was apparently awake and listening in, snatched his phone away and answered instead. “It’s three a.m., Rin. God, I will seriously punch you when you come back.” He groaned, eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed. “And, for the record, Nanase is so deeply in love with you, I’m pretty sure he was asking for your hand in marriage in his own way the last time we talked. So  _please_ , stop talking.” Sousuke shoved the phone back on Makoto’s chest, patting it and whispering “You should hung up on that hopeless guy.”

With a sigh, Makoto took the phone and put it on his ear slowly. There was silence on the other line, which was highly expected. He wondered briefly if he should hung up now and let Rin stew over that.

But then, Rin’s voice, clear and  _loud,_ shouted on the other line, “ _WHY IS SOUSUKE IN YOUR BED, MAKOTO?!”_

There was a shuffling sound and then a sudden “Who’s in-” followed by Haruka taking the phone and saying “We’re going back to Japan immediately.”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “What? No, no! You are  _not_ going back to-” He blushed then, embarrassed. He frowned and hit Sousuke’s arm, seeing as this was completely his fault. Asshole. “It’s fine.”

“That is not- That is not  _fine_ , Makoto.” Rin spluttered. “I’ll punch that guy, I swear to god, why didn’t you  _tell me_.”

“Rin,” Makoto uttered calmly. “We fell asleep because we were celebrating finals week.” Not to mention, Haruka was platonically(-ish) sleeping on Rin’s bed too, so pot-kettle, whatever. “No need to go all-”

“And it’s not their business who you sleep with.” Sousuke intoned sleepily. Makoto hit him on the arm again.

“Oh god, this is not how I imagined this conversation to go.” Rin said despairingly. “I was just-” He must have realized what they were originally talking about and the fact that Haruka was awake. “Yeah, uh, we should- we should sleep. And talk about this when it’s not 3 a.m.”

“ _Thank you,”_  Makoto sighed out. “Good night, Rin.”

“Good night, Makoto.” Rin said, gratefulness clear in his tone. At his side, Haruka said, “Kick Yamazaki off your bed.” And then they hung up.

Makoto stared at it for a while until the screen went on standby. “I cannot believe that just happened.” He muttered, wrinkling his nose as he saw again what time it was.

“Just wait until you get their next call.” Sousuke jibed playfully. “It would be-”

“You’re answering the next call.” Makoto pointedly put his phone on Sousuke’s bedside table, because it is  _his_ bedside table and ohgod Rin would find out about this sooner or later.

Oh well. It’s 3 a.m. and Makoto does not have the brain capacity to handle this. He laid back down, curled to the side and placed his arm around Sousuke’s waist, and let sleep take him.


	109. trick or treating [harurin]

_“Happy Halloween!” Rin greets as soon as the screen showed Haruka’s face. He squinted then, noticing the lack of the light blue wallpaper he’s been used to seeing. “Wait, where are you?” He asked, eyebrows furrowing._

_“Trick or treating.” Haruka explained easily, smiling softly as he took on Rin’s Prince Charming costume. Such a sap, really._

_Rin raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Did you just skype-call me from a house you’re trick or treating in?”_

_“Oh, it’s more of a house visit.” A familiar voice chimed in, sounding amused more than anything. Kyou Matsuoka, Rin’s grandma, came into view as she sat beside Haruka on the dark red couch. Oh yeah. That room does look familiar. It’s his grandma’s house. “I was glad to finally meet Haruka.”_

_Feeling embarrassed already at just the thought of what Kyou must have told Haruka, Rin blushed and spluttered out, “Why is he even there?”_

_“Trick or treating.” Haruka repeated, rolling his eyes and sounding impatient as if Rin was being difficult._

_“You usually just knock on the door, get the candy and leave!” Rin exclaimed._

_“I’m being polite.” Haruka reasoned out. “Kyou-san told me you weren’t calling her much.”_

_Rin pouted then, reverting back to a petulant grandchild as he averted his gaze. “I was busy.”_

_“And yet you answered Haruka’s call immediately.” Kyou did not sound offended at all. Instead, she sounded proud and amused. “Oh, Rin.” She sighed. “Never change.”_


	110. makosou harurin fic of doom prologue

The first time Makoto saw Haruka in Maiko’s hands, his heart warmed and he felt a protective instinct come over him like how he felt when Ran and Ren were born. He was just 20 years old, barely able to manage his life, but he knew that he would do anything to give anything this child wants.

Haruka became an important part of his life, became a motivation to do his best for graduation and to find a good job. Where there was a gaping hole inside him before, it was replaced with the need to be worthy of being Haruka’s godfather. The confused barely-adult found his direction in life through the little boy’s smiles.

And when Maiko died in a car crash, he stepped up and snatched Haruka’s little hands away from the indecisive family members who kept on arguing about who would take care of him, who kept on missing out the fact that Haruka was a miracle.

Haruka became the most important part of his life. Haruka became his son.

—

The first time Sousuke saw Rin in Gou’s arms, he felt scared and uncertain. The boy looked just like her mother, with no trace of Sousuke in him. And yet, Sousuke knew. Sousuke felt that this was his son, that this was someone from his flesh and blood.

Rin, two years old at the time, looked so small and innocent. And yet he could destroy everything in Sousuke’s life. Sousuke was scared beyond belief.

“I need you to take care of him.” Gou had said. “Just while I’m out of the country.” She knew he could not say no. He needed to do his fair share of being a parent. It was written in the divorce terms.

It took him a few days to be used to another little person in his place; took him a week to accept that he needed to take it seriously; took him two weeks to realize that Gou was going to be working a whole year out of the country.

It was a month into their little situation when he caught Rin staring at him from where he was perched in his high chair. “Dada?” He said, for the first time since he saw Sousuke. “Dada!” He laughed, a wonderful sound that made Sousuke feel  _things_.

Sousuke chuckled and picked him up. “Babies are weird,” he sighed out, kissing the top of Rin’s forehead.

He was not ready to be a real father, far from it, but as he stared at Rin’s large eyes, he thought maybe he could try.


	111. makosou harurin fic of doom prologue point 5

_“Is it inappropriate to lust on our son’s preschool teacher?” was the first words she heard when she answered the phone._

_Gou blinked, glanced at the name on the screen, and then gaped at it for at least a whole minute._

_“I mean, I’m not doing anything, don’t worry about that. Rin is learning all the good things and none of the bad, I promise.” Sousuke’s voice was completely earnest._

_“When I said call me for emergencies, I didn’t mean to call me for your own gay crisis.” Gou gritted out, glancing at the glass door to check if anyone was looking in her office. Luckily, everyone was busy in the law firm. “I meant call me for Rin-chan emergencies.”_

_Sousuke scoffed. “I’m not having a gay crisis, and you know that. You married me knowing too much about me.”_

_Which, fair. She looked into his crime record and stalked his social media accounts. She knew all about his bisexuality. “I already know too much about you, jesus, please don’t talk about your crush on Tachibana-sensei.” She sighed. “That is highly inappropriate.”_

_“My crush on sensei or talking to you about it?” Sousuke sounded curious._

_“Ohgod,” Gou groaned and hit her head on her desk lightly. “Both. Both are inappropriate.” After a brief silence, she added, “But fine, I know you’ve had it bad for that guy if you’re actually talking to your ex-wife about it. Just- just make sure Rin-chan isn’t affected by any of it, or I swear I’ll fly over there and sue you.”_

_Sousuke laughed then. “Actually, Rin asked me if he could invite Tachibana-sensei over for lunch, and dinner and breakfast too and if maybe I’d like to keep both Tachibana-sensei and his son.” He sounded so fond, obviously recalling what Rin looked like when he said it._

_“That’s…” Gou found herself laughing as well. “That sounds just like him.” God, she misses her son so much. With a soft voice, she said, “Be careful, okay? Don’t you dare disappoint Rin-chan.”_

_“I won’t.” Sousuke said, and it was obviously a promise. “Rin would always come first.”_


	112. howl's moving castle au [makorin]

“Why are you here?”

Makoto sat up straighter, his spine aching in that unfamiliar way it has since he was turned into an old man by that evil witch, and looked up to the stairs where the handsome wizard stood in all his perfect glory. Rin looked just like the rumors said, hair as red as fire and eyes glinting like those of a demon after your heart. He was the very definition of  _devilish_.

Makoto continued to stare.

“Old man, I’m asking you-” Rin growled and leaned forward on the railing, as if ready to pounce.

“He’s just an old man!” Nagisa, the bright-eyed apprentice who happily accepted Makoto into the Moving Castle, stepped forward and spread his arms wide. He grinned and motioned towards the clean table and the steaming breakfast. “An old man who cleaned and cooked us food!”

Rin narrowed his eyes before going down the stairs to inspect the breakfast Makoto made. He’s pretty proud of it, really. He learned to cook from his best friend and Haruka’s a chef in the Queen’s castle now. Makoto learned from the best.

“He said he wanted to stay here, that he’ll clean in exchange of staying here.” Nagisa continued his explanation before spearing a bacon piece with his fork and munching on it. “It’s delicious!” He announced, little bits of breakfast falling down his plate as he tried to speak more while eating.

Scrunching up his nose in disgust, Rin flicked his hand and watched in contentment as Nagisa’s lips got magically glued together. “Old man just cleaned. Don’t be such a slob, Nagisa.” He sighed out, sitting down and poking at the sausages.

“I’m Makoto Tachibana,” Makoto said, watching the wizard with curious eyes. He cannot imagine how this flashy wizard could help him destroy the curse in him, but he was willing to try. Besides, Nagisa was an amusing child and Makoto found himself wanting to take care of him. Maybe it was a compulsion brought about by old age.

Rin watched him for a few seconds before finally biting into the sausage. “Hmmm…” A soft smile appeared on his face, a childish expression of pure joy. “It’s delicious.” He immediately frowned then and looked away, glaring at the fire on the side as the said fire snickered audibly. Then, he cleared his throat and said, “Fine, you win.” He rolled his eyes as Nagisa wordlessly did a victory dance on his seat. “Welcome to the moving castle, Makoto.”


	113. accidental baby acquisition [makorin]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, Rin is an Olympic swimmer and a model. He lives in this fancy place because of all his sponsors and his work as a model. So, for some reason, a woman actually thought it was a good idea to leave her twin babies at his doorsteps. (Let’s just say the cameras in his house didn’t see the woman. She’s wearing a scarf or something. This woman is probably Aki. Because I do what I want. Also plot twist. It’s Sousuke’s children. lol what.)
> 
> Anyway!!! Rin is living in Tokyo. Makoto is studying in Tokyo to become a pediatrician. Everyone else is in Iwatobi. So… Of course, because Rin is mushy and he heard that the kid would be given to welfare and be left in an orphanage (where the twins are in danger of being separated ohmygod???), Rin decides that he’ll find the parents and take care of it in the mean time. Or maybe he knew early on that it was Sousuke’s (he’s probably dead or missing or in a comatose idk), and he thought it was his responsibility to take care of them. Also he’s openly gay and doesn’t have a boyfriend and he can’t have children without a partner.
> 
> But he doesn’t know how to. He’s confused and also they keep on crying and he can’t leave them alone, so he calls Makoto.
> 
> “Why are there twin babies on your couch?” Makoto asked, eyes wide and scared. “Did you have a girlfrie-”
> 
> “Makoto, I’m gay.” Rin rolled his eyes and scrunched up his nose. “They’re not mine. I need help taking care of them. You’re on vacation right? I am, too.”
> 
> “Rin…” Makoto gaped at him. “I didn’t know you were gay.”
> 
> “That is not the point of this conversation.”
> 
> So yeah. They join forces. Go shopping for children’s clothes. Try to run away from paparazzis. Watch children-friendly shows. Eat healthy food that Rin cooked. And Makoto kind-of sleeps over at Rin’s at least thrice a week then. Until they’re practically married and the kids both call them ‘dada’ and 'papa’ (Rin totally secretly fed them that idea).
> 
> and then the drama happens. Paparazzis. Sousuke and Aki appearing. Haruka and Gou and Nagisa and Matsuoka Mama finding out. And all that beautiful shit.

Everything went downhill after they bought the crib.

Really, it was the crib’s fault.

Makoto had just mentioned that the babies needed proper cribs to sleep in, that’s all. Kotori and Ryan, because  _of course_ Makoto named them already and god Rin is so gonna regret ever picking up those babies from the damned doorstep… The twins could not just sleep on Rin’s bed like how they have been doing the past week. Makoto had that soft look on his face as if he was imagining how much emotional pain the kids would gain from not having their own space.

That look was unfair and should not be used on Rin.

But anyway. Rin knew Makoto was right. For the past week, Makoto has been right all the time. And well, in their whole friendship, too. Makoto was the one who got the right ideas. And well, he was the one studying childcare and all that. What did Rin know about those? Nothing. So he trusted Makoto with this.

So. There. The crib.

They went to the mall to buy one, both of them pushing the double stroller in front of them.

“This is embarrassing…” Rin muttered, cheeks red as he pulled his cap lower to hide more of his face. “If anyone sees me, my manager would actually kill me.  _Kill me_.”

“I told you I can do this alone.” Makoto reminded him with a quirked eyebrow. “You could have just stayed at home with the kids.”

Rin blushed some more from those words. Damnit. He would not survive this. “And I told you, I still don’t trust myself alone with them.” He looked at the two babies looking up at the ceiling in interest. They were just like little angels. “Besides, they should have a choice on what crib they want.”

Makoto laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t think Kotori or Ryan would mind any of those.”

“Well,” Rin cleared his throat and looked determinedly away from Makoto and to the aisle of cribs instead. “I need to know, anyway. I don’t want it to clash with the colors of the nursery.”

There was silence as Makoto stopped and stared at Rin. “ _Nursery?_ ” His eyes were wide and there was a large smile on his face. “You mean it? You’re making one?”

Rin shrugged awkwardly. “The guest room might as well be theirs for the time being.”

“You have three extra bedrooms though.”

“Good thing too,” Rin pushed the stroller forward just to get away from this situation. “Since you need one too, right?” Ah shit. Why is he just blurting these things right here?

“Right!” Makoto sounded pleasantly surprised. Which was good. It wasn’t creepy that Rin wanted him to sleep in his giant mansion to take care of kids he picked up, right? Right. Rin should just stop thinking about that one deeply.

“Le- let’s just pick that crib already.” Rin forced out, trying to calm himself down. Ugh. He really would not survive this.

Makoto nodded happily and bumped his shoulder in what seemed to be a gesture of gratefulness. “We’re gonna pick the best crib, right Kotori? Ryan?” He grinned at the babies and looked as if buying a crib was the best thing in the world.

Rin would actually die from being exposed to Makoto’s smiles. Seriously.

That fucking crib. This is really that crib’s fault.


	114. makosou harurin fic of doom date night

Sousuke isn’t asking Tachibana-sensei out on a date. He is not. No matter what Gou tells him (and isn’t that just wonderful, his ex-wife teasing him about his  _crush_ on their _son’s_   _preschool teacher_ ), he is not asking for a date. Far from it.

If anything, this is a play-date. For Haruka and Rin. For the their lovable, wonderful children.

It is no way related to Sousuke’s crush on Makoto Tachibana.

Not at all.

—

“Daddy,” Rin lightly pulled on the towel wrapped around Sousuke’s waist to get his attention, eyes bright and lips pouting cutely. “You have to get ready  _now!_ ” He looked all determined. He really wanted everything to be perfect, insisting that he wanted Haruka to want to come back to play more after today. God, they’re so young and yet Sousuke feels like he’s already meeting his future son-in-law. “Daddy!” Rin pulled again.

Sousuke sighed and picked the boy up from the floor, placing him down on the bed before staring at the mess of clothes on it. Shit. He just seriously went ‘I should wear something nice on this date’, didn’t he? Ugh. This is not a date.

Concentrating on his son, he asked, “What do you think I should wear?”

“Blue is Haru’s favorite color.” Rin said with a small frown, eyeing the clothes. “You should wear blue.”

At least his son was more love struck than he was.

 

—

Sousuke was bad with the kitchen, and he was also rich and smart, so he decided that buying take-out was the best choice. Kids like those, right? Well, Rin does, anyway. Arguably, Rin can eat pretty much anything because he eats like a little monster.

Haruka, on the other hand, has lived with an adoptive father who teaches children to be healthy on a daily basis.

Sousuke definitely does not win any points with his preparation skills.

Even so, when Makoto arrived with Haruka in tow, Makoto had happily offered to help him with transferring the food from their containers into bowls and also placed his homemade brownies on the table. There was no judgement in his tone or in his expression, but instead he gave Sousuke a comforting look and mentioned how he used to hate looking at his kitchen before he formally learned how to cook. He laughed with that melodious tone of his and his eyes lit up when he shared that he almost failed a culinary class he took in college.

If Sousuke wasn’t already crushing on the guy, he would have fallen at that moment. His  _smile_  and his  _everything_ , seriously. No wonder more parents stayed to chat with the teachers ever since Makoto was employed in the preschool. (Amakata-sensei gladly gossiped with Sousuke and gave all the inside info as soon as Sousuke offered to volunteer for career day).

“Yamazaki-san?” Makoto waved a hand in front of his face, expression showing clear worry. “Is something the matter?”

“I’m fine.” Sousuke cleared his throat and took the bowls immediately. He turned his back to hide the blush on his face. “We should- Rin’s having a compulsion to draw on the kitchen counter lately. We should hurry.”

Makoto laughed softly at that, looking fond. “Rin-chan does love to draw. You should give him an art space, if that’s the case.”

This is a good topic. Rin is always a good, safe topic. “Art space?”

“Buy him an easel, and leave it in a corner. If you designate a whole space just for him, I’m sure he won’t want to draw anywhere else. Rin-chan is a good kid.”

“Yeah, he is.” Sousuke couldn’t hide the fondness in his voice either. “I should buy that. When I have the time.” This time, he had to sigh as he remembered how busy his schedule was. Today was a precious day off, and he wouldn’t have one in a while. Being a doctor sucked sometimes.

“Too busy?” Makoto knew all about it, of course. Rin more or less stays in the preschool after class, waiting for Sousuke all the time. “You could just order online.”

Sousuke frowned at the idea. He has never quite trusted those things, because they often were not as good as the sites would say. And Sousuke hated returning things more than buying them, so he always just throws away defectives rather than getting a refund. “I’ll find the time.” He said instead.

They dropped the bowls on the table and called over to the children who were quietly watching some documentary on sharks that Rin has been obsessed with for a while. Sousuke busied himself with setting the utensils properly, training his gaze on the table instead of the distracting man beside him.

“I could take Rin-chan with me when we shop for Haru-chan’s new toys.” Makoto offered tentatively just as the two children walked into the kitchen.

Rin immediately jumped in with a large smile. “Ah! Ah! I want to!” He grinned at Haruka and pulled him towards the table, to make sure they sit beside each other. “We could go shopping!”

Haruka blinked at him before looking at his father. “We will?” He asked, voice soft and uncertain.

“If Rin’s daddy agrees, we will.”

And so, three pairs of hopeful eyes look at him. Sousuke will actually die from this much cuteness. He can’t handle this.

“Fine,” Sousuke sighed. “I’ll pay next-”

“Daddy’s not coming with us?” Rin was  _pouting_.

“You know how busy-”

“But you want to come with us, right?” Rin asked, brows furrowing. “You  _always_ want to join when it’s with Tachibana-sensei!” He sounded so sure of it, tiny finger pointing vindictively at Sousuke.

Sousuke felt his whole face warm up in embarrassment. “I would love to join with you, but I have work, Rin.” Ignoring the comment seemed like the perfect reaction right now.

Rin was not convinced, but Haruka, wonderful boy that he is, poked his shoulder and asked him to trade spoons for some reason. Sousuke does not know why, but he is eternally grateful.

“I’ll call you when we’re going to the mall.” Makoto whispered, leaning closer to not be heard by the two. “I’m sure Rin understands that you’re busy. He always talks about your work in our class.” His expression went all soft and gentle again. “He says you’re the best doctor in the whole world. He loves you so much.”

Sousuke smiled and nodded. He knew that, but it gave him a warm feeling to hear it from someone else. He was blessed to have such a nice boy. “He talks about you a lot too.” He shared, in a quiet voice as well. (Haruka and Rin were in a heated discussion of what was cooler: dinosaurs or aliens). “He said you were the best teacher in the whole world.” He chuckled. “And he talks about Haruka everyday.”

“It’s really cute,” Makoto laughed as well, glancing at their children. “It’s always fun to see when my students have crushes.”

“It is,” Sousuke sighed. “Puppy love is adorable.” He said, staring at Makoto.

Now if only Sousuke could stop acting like  _he_ was the one with a puppy love, that would be awesome.


	115. Saturdays [MakoNagi]

Makoto hated Saturdays.

He used to  _love_  Saturdays because it was the day he could sleep in and be waken up by his two adorable siblings. Ran would always jump on his bed and poke at him, while Ren would be the softer one by telling him to wake up and that their meal was ready. His mom would make delicious brunch for all of them, having insisted that everyone is allowed to have more rest during Saturdays so they should have a healthy brunch instead of waking up early. After that, he would play with them and help them in their homework before going to fetch Haruka for their weekly video game time. Everyone dear to Makoto would be in the house, and it would always be the best day of his week.

But now he was in Tokyo, a long train ride away from Haruka and a plane ride away from his family.

He was in Tokyo. Alone.

And he hated Saturdays.

—

Makoto groaned as he heard his alarm go off. He glared at it with sleepy eyes, muscles straining from the effort of moving.

Saturday, 9:00 am.

It was too early to wake up. And it was Saturday. A Saturday after a full-load week of exams and essays.

His mom would probably still be asleep alongside his whole family. Haruka would be walking to his university, or maybe jogging to stay fit before his Saturday training.

Makoto was all alone in his dirty apartment and his empty fridge.

He looked around and realized that his phone was beeping.

**[Mako-chan! Rise and shine! Remember to buy milk and eggs on your morning run!]**

Nagisa. It was Nagisa’s usual random messages. That boy had a third-eye for this kind of thing. Even miles away, Nagisa could still somehow know when they needed him. Rin told him last week that Nagisa sent him a letter when he was feeling homesick, and it made him feel better immediately.

Makoto felt himself smiling at the phone despite an oncoming headache forming. It was nice to know that no matter how far apart they were, they wouldn’t ever stay apart again. They were still a team. Their friendship transcended distance.

 **[Thanks]**  he sent back, tucking the phone in his pocket and standing up to survey the room.

A minute later, his phone rang, signalling a call. Makoto’s smile widened. “Nagisa, good morning!” He greeted.

“You are really chipper, Mako-chan. Good job!” Nagisa yawned and there was a rustle as if he was still rolling around bed. Knowing him, that would probably be the case. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” He answered immediately. Even with the homesickness, his studies was going well and he had constant contact with everyone. Listening to Nagisa’s voice made him remember that. “How about you?”

Nagisa groaned. “You know, you know, I really miss you already. A lot. Because those first years are  _weird_.” His voice turned all animated and excited, and it filled Makoto’s heart with warmth to know that this hasn’t changed, possibly won’t ever. “I think one of them just joined to smell the chlorine on the water. It’s  _creepy_. And there’s this one who kept looking at Gou-chan so me and Rei-chan always stood beside her until she pushed us into the pool because she said she can take care of herself just fine but that just made the guy like her  _more_ and I can’t have people courting her under our watch, right? Rin-chan would kill us! And Rei-chan is weirdly protective of us too, you know? Like, last time…”

Makoto let Nagisa’s voice wash over him, calming down and enjoying each story the younger boy told.

After a long story about an insect getting into the clubroom and Gou courageously capturing it with a jar, Nagisa sighed happily and asked, “Are you going to get your groceries now?”

 _Are you okay now?_  was what he was asking, Makoto knew.

“Yeah. Groceries and laundry. I’ll order in something for lunch.” He said, smiling.  _I’m fine now, thank you_ , he meant.

And as Nagisa went on to explain why pizza was the best lunch to get, Makoto thought, “Well, Saturdays aren’t so bad, after all.”


	116. [soumako] matsuoka siblings being nosy af

_Makoto stared wide-eyed at_   _the three, looking from one to the other to the other. Rin had his eyebrow raised up in question. Gou had a furrow in her brows, confusion clear in the way her lips were quirked down. Sousuke was… Sousuke looked hopeful and honest and borderline excited._

_Sousuke was waiting for his answer._

_“Wait,” Makoto raised both hands up, palms facing the three in a ‘stop right there’ gesture. “What did you just say?”_

_Still painfully earnest unlike the usual Sousuke, he repeated his earlier confession. “I like you. Will you please go on a date with me?”_

_Makoto blinked. Once. Twice. “You’re dating Gou. I saw you. You were buying jewelry.”_

 

_Gou’s expression scrunched up in what seemed to be disgust. “Ew,” she said emphatically. “He’s like my brother.”_

_“Gou!” Rin frowned at her, obviously taking offense in her statement for some reason. “You don’t need to look like that. Sousuke’s the coolest.”_

_Sousuke sighed deeply, looking like he’s regretting everything that brought him here. “Thanks,” he said dryly._

_“Sure, bro.” Rin grinned, clapping him on the back. “If I won’t defend your honor, who will?”_

_“Uh…” Makoto was really, really confused now._

_“Getting back to the topic!” Gou tugged on Rin’s arm, stepping back and away from Sousuke and Makoto. “You just talk right there and we’re gonna-”_

_Rin rolled his eyes and walked away as well. “Don’t break his heart, Makoto,” he gestured with two fingers to his eyes and then pointed at Makoto. “I’m watching you.”_

_Sousuke groaned like he was dying. “Just go, please.” He muttered. Once they were out of earshot, he faced Makoto once again, expression serious but his ears tainted red. “Gou was helping me find gifts for Christmas. We were both thinking of giving Rin a necklace.”_

_“That’s sweet,” Makoto smiled, biting his lip at the image of the two fighting over what Rin wanted. “He’d love it.”_

_He reddened some more, but he clenched his hands into fists as if getting his resolve. “So…” He looked Makoto in the eye. “Your answer?”_

_Makoto chuckled, because he couldn’t help it, really. “You know what, Haru would be so angry at you when he hears this.”_

_It was Sousuke’s turn to be confused. “…huh?”_

_“I called him in the middle of practice and he said I sounded so sad that he took the day off and went to Tokyo to fetch me.”_

_“Sad?”_

_Makoto rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the embarrassment creeping in. “Yeah,” he said. “I might have been sulking when I saw you and Gou shopping together…”_

_The hopeful expression came back at full-force. “Does that mean…?”_

_Cheeks burning, Makoto nodded. “I like you too.”_

_(At the side, hidden by the trees, Gou passed Rin 1000 yen.)_


	117. rin does something + nagisa pays back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was gonna be 5 times fic but uhhhh it's only 2

1.

 

“W-what are you doing?!”  
  
Rin stared wide-eyed as he caught Nagisa riffling through his bag, one hand already holding on to his Samezuka uniform. Nagisa, seemingly surprised by his presence, stiffly looked up with a forced expression of innocence. His lips twitched up as soon as he took in the expression of complete shock in Rin’s face.  
  
“I was just borrowing something!” He said, nodding his head as if that would make his statement any more believable.  
  
“I only have my clothes there.” Rin stepped in, closing the door before narrowing his eyes at Nagisa. “What were you looking for, Nagisa?”  
  
“…your clothes?” Nagisa blinked slowly.  
  
“For what?”  
  
“I wanted to see how it would fit me.” He said quickly, a bright smile appearing on his face. He looked so pleased with his answer, like this was a great idea.  
  
Rin’s eyebrow shot up. “You wanted to wear my clothes.”  
  
“Yes!”  
  
“That doesn’t make sense.” Rin stepped closer, crossing his arms in front of him. “What do you  _really_  want?”  
  
“I just wanted to see how I look like in a Samezuka uniform.” Nagisa pulled the said uniform out and placed it on top of the shelf. “And…” He pouted, looking down at the fabric. “I maybe kinda wanted to force you to wear the Iwatobi uniform when I steal your uniform…?” His voice was barely a whisper when he reached the end of his confession.  
  
“Why would you want that?” Rin’s eyebrow refused to go down. This was just ridiculous.  
  
“Don’t you want to see what you look like in it?” Nagisa asked, suddenly quiet and earnest. He looked Rin in the eyes and chewed on his lower lip nervously. “We did a fake class introduction once, so I started thinking about how you would look like in our uniform…” He fiddled his fingers together. “I think it would be interesting to see.”  
  
Rin nodded, shrugging one shoulder. “Fair enough. Then, did you take Rei’s uniform to make me wear it?” Rei was exactly his height, and almost has the same build. Haru’s would be smaller, Makoto’s would be bigger.  
  
Nagisa’s forehead creased in confusion for a second before he understood what that meant. “Oh! I didn’t think that far! I only have mine here!”  
  
“You want me to wear yours?!”  
  
“It would fit!” Nagisa exclaimed petulantly. “It isn’t that small!”  
  
Rin sighed and walked closer to the boy, stopping just by his side and pointedly placing a hand on top of his head. “You’re pretty small.”  
  
Eyes glaring with that evil glint, Nagisa tiptoed to lean closer. “Wanna try me?”  
  
“Oh, you’re on.”

 

Ten minutes later, Nagisa smiled widely as he patted Rin on both shoulders. The three-piece uniform was snugly in place; pants barely reaching his ankles, shirt not tucked in, blazer too fit on the shoulders. The necktie was just draped on his neck after three evasions from Nagisa’s hands. (Rin was sure Nagisa would jokingly tie it tighter than normal and accidentally kill Rin.) Everything fit, no matter how uncomfortable it was, and if he insisted it didn’t, Nagisa would forcefully dress him in it. It was better to say it fit than have Nagisa suffocate him through his clothes.

“See~ I win!” Nagisa raised both fists up in triumph.

“Congratulations, you’re not as small as I thought.” Rin said dryly, tugging on the cuffs that weren’t even buttoned. “It still isn’t a good fit.” He added, because no one ever said Rin was a good loser. “I won’t go to school looking like this.”

Nagisa puffed up his cheeks. “It isn’t a bad look on you.”

Rin let his blank stare be his answer for that one. He looked like an idiot. He sat down on the bench by the side of the room and sighed.

“Well then,” Nagisa nodded to himself before taking the Samezuka uniform pants from the shelf. “Time for my part.”

“Why do you have to wear it? You already saw me in an Iwatobi uniform!”

Nagisa rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious. “Because it’s more fun this way!”

“Of course.” Rin should have known that response was coming. He watched as Nagisa tried to put on the pants, only for it to slip down a bit on his hips. That didn’t faze Nagisa though, because he just giggled and put on the white blazer with the same excited smile he always shows.

“Look! Look!” Nagisa put both arms on his chest, in some form of stereotypical cute pose. The sleeves were long enough that it swallowed his hands whole. “ _Moe_ sleeves!” He announced, shaking his hands to show it off. “Super cute!”

Rin would say ‘no, it is not’, but he has not been good with lying to the younger boy since they were children. Nagisa would read into him and then smile at him knowingly. So instead of lying, he said, “Yeah, it is.”

The smile amped up another one hundred percent, his lips stretching from ear to ear and his eyes wide and bright. “We should take a picture!”

“No.” Rin inched away, definitely looking spooked. “I don’t want anyone to see this.”

“Then I’ll keep it a secret!” Nagisa insisted, walking closer with his phone in hand. “I promise!”

“I don’t believe you.”

His expression fell, looking like a drenched puppy all of a sudden. “But I keep my promises!” He sat beside Rin and looked at him with an expression full of earnestness. “I wrote to you, didn’t I? I promised you I’ll keep in touch after you go to Australia, and I did it.” He raised one finger then raised another. “And! We promised we’ll swim in a relay again and we did!”

Rin did not have a comeback for that. There it is, his weakness. He looked down and stared at the bottom of his Samezuka pants pooling around Nagisa’s ankles. It really did look cute, and moments like this were precious. Years from now, he’d probably thank himself if he had at least one picture of Nagisa in that uniform. He sighed.

“Fine.” He said, sliding to the small space between them to be as close to Nagisa as possible. With their sides flush beside each other, he snatched Nagisa’s phone and placed his other arm around his shoulders. “Just one. The others won’t see this, clear?”

“I promise.” Nagisa chirped, smiling softly. “I’ll hide it properly!”

Rin nodded. “Now, 3, 2, 1, say cheese!”

—

Rin has only been at his dorm room for a few minutes when he saw his phone light up to signal a message. He dropped his bag on the side of his bed and plopped on it with a tired groan. The message was most likely from Makoto anyway, since he’s the only one who ever messages him. Everyone else who would want to talk to him was in the dorm or did not use their cellphone.

 

Another ring.

 

Then another.

 

“What?” Rin sat up and took his phone out. 3 Unopen Messages from Nagisa.

 

**[Rin-chan! Here’s your copy of our picture!ヾ(*・ω・*)ﾉ]**

 

It was a simple picture, Rin scowling less than usual and Nagisa smiling wider. It was… nice. Rin might even keep it. Inside a password-protected folder, of course. Momo might actually throw a party when he sees it, and Nitori might print the picture as commemoration. The picture is to be protected at all cost.

 

**[Oh! Btw check your pockets♡ I left you a gift♪]**

 

There were three things in his pants pocket: a yellow sugar candy, a piece of paper and a ticket for a movie. On the piece of paper, “Saturday 11:30 AM” was written.

 

**[Did you like my gift? ☆～（ゝ。∂） Thanks for the picture, Rin-chan \\(^_^)/]**

 

Rin couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of him. Well, this would be interesting.

 

 

2.

 

 **Saturday, 11:15 a.m.**  
  
Rin stood in front of the cinema, debating with himself whether to roll up his long-sleeves or not. It looked good either way, he knew, but he wondered what he wanted to look like. Did he want to look casual? Did he want to look serious? Was he going in as Nagisa’s guardian who would keep him out of trouble, or as Nagisa’s friend who would most likely get roped into his many crazy ideas? It was a tough call to make.  
  
Oh, but who is he kidding?  
  
Rin would most likely be both. Nagisa was complex that way. He was an enthusiastic little child and an adventurous friend all rolled into one.  
  
Rin rolled his long sleeves a few inches up.  
  
  
About five minutes later, a shout of “Rin-chan!” resounded from the other side of the street, the crowd parting at the middle in shock and letting a grinning Nagisa run through. He looked excited, hair windswept and his baby blue shirt rumpled as if he ran all the way from home. He still looked adorable despite all that. It was his special talent.  
  
“Easy,” Rin placed a hand on his shoulder as soon as the younger boy stopped in front of him. “You’ll fall down if you run like that.” He snickered.  
  
Nagisa nodded dismissively, resting his hands on his knees as he took a few deep breaths. “I didn’t want to be late!” He explained once he straightened up. “You’re gonna do that…” He frowned and lowered his voice. “’ _Nagisa, you shouldn’t be late!_ ’ You’d say that!” He said, pointing a judgmental expression at him. “You would!”

“Well, you were the one who asked me to come, so being late is-”

“I wasn’t, though!” Nagisa cut him off. “And since I wasn’t late, you should reward me with popcorn!”

Rin raised an eyebrow. “You said this movie was a gift for the picture.”

Nagisa blinked, tilting his head to the right. “I did. It  _is_ a gift.” Blink. “Hey! The popcorn is my  _reward_ this time.”

“For not being late?”

“For not being late!” Nagisa nodded enthusiastically. “Rin-chan should be  _senpai-like_ this time, right?”

Rin scrunched up his nose. “I feel like something is unfair here.” He peeked at the poster of the movie they would watch and stared at the big white dog and the small boy on it. [A tale of loyalty and a friendship that transcends time] was written on top.  “I never even said I liked this movie. It sounds really cheesy.”

“Perfect for you, right?!” Nagisa raised both thumbs up and winked.

“I don’t know why I even try.” Rin sighed. “Come on, let me buy you popcorn.”

“ _And_ hotdogs!”

Th movie, no matter what Rin would say to everyone else who asks, was actually really good. It was a story about how a young boy and his dog got through war together, how the young boy went off to be a soldier, and how the dog waited for him until they met again in their final days. Rin cried approximately three times. He would deny all of it; but he cried when the young boy’s mother died and told the dog to take care of her son, when the young boy turned into a young soldier, and when the two reunited and died under their favorite birch tree. It was emotional, okay? No one could blame him for crying.

Nagisa was weirdly quiet throughout the film. He did gasp during select parts and clung on to Rin’s arm when the scene turned emotional, but it was weird not to hear his usual brand of commentary. The strong grip he had on Rin’s arm was a nice feeling though. It anchored Rin enough that he could pretend like he was not sobbing his heart out.

“You liked it?” was Nagisa’s first words when the lights opened and the people around started trickling out. “Was it a good gift?”

Rin looked down and wondered if his eyes were red. He figured it would have subsided by now, so he looked up and shrugged nonchalantly, trying for casual. “Meh,” he said, looking at the screen. “It’s fine for a cheesy movie.”

Nagisa giggled as if that was a joke.

“And, well, I’m pretty sure by now that you didn’t buy the ticket as a gift for the picture.”

Another giggle escaped him as he stood up. He placed his hands in his pocket and nodded slowly. “Yep,” he said, popping the ‘p’ like a smug little brat. “I did buy it before the picture was taken, after all.” He grinned. “I just wanted to get Rin-chan to watch it with me.”

Rin rolled his eyes. “I shouldn’t have bought you the popcorn.” He sighed.

Nagisa stuck out his tongue before taking out a rectangular paper from his pocket and showing it off grandly. “Now,  _this_ is the gift.”

Raising an eyebrow, Rin accepted it warily. “Another cheesy movie?”

“Of course!” Nagisa said happily. “It’s fun watching with you. I like spending time with Rin-chan.”

Rin had to ignore the warmth that surged through him from those words. It was typical, having these feelings because of Nagisa’s unexpected earnestness. Nagisa just didn’t feel the need to keep quiet about his affection for all of them. Rin should be used to it by now, but the weight of his emotions still make Rin want to hug the young boy in the middle of the crowded cinema. He cleared out his throat, hoping that would do the trick and stop his arms from moving forward. “I really need to go watch this…” He looked down. “[The Enchanted Forest] movie?” He narrowed his eyes at the image of an adolescent girl and boy holding hands while watching the sunset.

Nagisa blinked. “You don’t want to…?” He asked, pouting and looking at him with wide, soul-sucking eyes.

“I’ll go!” He answered hastily, frowning immediately as he realized what he just agreed to. Man, Nagisa’s powers of persuasion was still at its peak even now. “I’ll… I’ll watch with you, fine.” He looked away and willed the blush of embarrassment away. “Just- don’t tell the others, okay?”

Nodding excitedly, Nagisa took his empty hand and pulled him out of the chair. “Another secret with Rin-chan?” He laughed. “Okay!”

—

Rin stared at his phone as soon as he went home. Another picture from Nagisa. This time, it was a solo shot of Rin playing the crane game from earlier. He should probably be worried by how many blackmail materials Nagisa was procuring, but then he knew Nagisa didn’t need any of it to make him do things, like how Rin just bought him a heaping of food repeatedly the whole day. Rin knew he was soft for the younger boy. The acknowledgement of it didn’t make it less of a fact.

His phone was ringing again.

Except this time, it was a call.

He blinked at the screen for a whole ten seconds before answering.

“Hello?” He asked, eyebrows furrowing. “Why are you cal-”

Nagisa’s laughter echoed from the other line. “I need to hear this.” He said by way of answer, before adding “Check your bag.”

He kept the phone on his ear while rummaging his bag with the other. One sweep was enough to understand where this was going. He raised the small stuffed toy in front of him, eyeing it suspiciously. “Mizushimashima-kun?” The weird yellow mascot stared back at him with its dead eyes.

“Hey! You remembered the name!” Nagisa sounded extremely pleased. “I got you one too, while you were off getting more coins.”

“I don’t want one.” Rin scrunched up his nose. Mizushimashima-kun was tacky at best, visually-damaging at worst. Rin would never understand the thought process that made them produce something with this color scheme. “It’s ugly.”

Even through the line, Rin could hear the huff and the pout. “No, Rin-chan!” He reprimanded. “It’s cute! Besides, it’s the thought that counts. Think of it as me.”

“You make me want to throw it on the wall.” Rin sighed, stuffing the toy underneath his pillow. Then, he placed it on his bedside table because it was rude to suffocate gifts.

“Rin-chaaaaan~”

“What?” Rin sighed and absentmindedly patted the ugly mascot. “Okay, fine, I’m thankful for our matching stuffed toy. Happy?” He tried so hard to make it sound like a blank reply but the softness and fondness seeped out of his voice. Ugh.

“Super!” Nagisa exclaimed, back to being pleased. “Good night, Rin-chan. Good night Mizushimashima-kun 2.”

Rin didn’t even want to argue with the name. The ugly blob deserved it. “Good night, Nagisa.”

He laid down and fell asleep with the image of Nagisa’s smile as his final thought.

(He woke up face to face with Mizushimashima-kun, and almost had a concussion when he fell off the bed. Nagisa would hear about it in their next movie day and end up laughing so hard for a whole minute.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there was gonna be a third part about nagisa making rin wear a flower crown (which is c a n o n THANKS KYOANI) but i never wrote it so... sigh


	118. gsnk crossover [harurin mayumiko]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haruka is a nozaki cousin and I STAND BY IT

_Sakura wasn’t sure what to do._

_True, she was invited here. True, all the Nozakis are pretty fond of her (NozakiMama gave her a ribbon for Christmas and NozakiPapa told her to ‘take care of my stupid son’. She and Mayu has an understanding and he supports her on her love for his brother.) True, Nozaki Umetarou personally asked her to be his 'plus-one’ for the event._

_But still. Nozaki Umetarou is a weird creature and no one actually understands what he’s thinking half the time. (She can never look at fireworks the same way again.) Him inviting her to this family reunion is just another disappointment waiting to happen, she’s sure._

_Of course, knowing that and actually making herself stop hoping were two very different things._

_“Umetarou! Umetarou! Come here and introduce Chiyo-chan to your cousins!” NozakiMama was clearly hands-on with making sure Sakura felt comfortable in this place. Sakura was thankful, even though she was still unsure on how to act around the extended family. “Come, come, Chiyo-chan,” NozakiMama ushered both of them close and motioned to a handsome lean man with dark blue hair and the prettiest eyes Sakura has ever seen. “This is Haruka-kun, Haruka Nanase, my sister’s son.”_

 

_“Nice to meet you, Haruka-kun.” Chiyo smiled and bowed her head a bit in greeting. The man, obviously older, nodded almost imperceptibly before looking over to Umetarou._

_“Haru,” Nozaki’s gaze was tension-filled as he stared at his cousin. “I heard you’re-”_

_Eyes narrowing just a bit, Haruka said, “No.” Just that. For no reason at all. Was communicating with the least number of words a talent passed through the Nozaki clan?_

_“But-”_

_“I have training everyday.” Haruka answered an unasked question, confusing Sakura some more. He looked down and took out his phone, glancing over the screen and clicking some buttons. “I’ll help when you’re in a rush and I’m free, though.” He added, almost absently as he composed a text to someone. His phone beeped. “I have to go.” He turned to leave._

_“But you never answer e-mails!” Nozaki complained, eyebrows furrowed. “Ken-san said he couldn’t contact you before!”_

_Ken-san? Why would Ken-san know Haruka?_

_Sakura watched intently as Haruka looked back at them with a small, soft smile. “I use my phone more now.” He promised. His voice came out fond, a familiar tone overtaking his earlier flatness._

_She’s heard that before._

_She’s heard that from… “Oh.” She giggled, hiding her laughter behind her hands. “That’s cute.”_

_“Who’s cute?” Nozaki blinked at her in confusion. “Haru?”_

_“Him, and also Mayu-kun.” Sakura answered vaguely. Then, since she was curious, she asked, “What was that about? Ken-san?”_

_Nozaki shrugged. “A few years ago, Haru stayed with us while his parents was doing business. He didn’t want to do anything so I started drawing beside him.” His eyes widened as he animatedly narrated. “And then! He copied my art exactly as I did and even added some improvements of his own! I asked him to help me draw one of my first mangas. He helps me occasionally since then.” He frowned then, suddenly dejected. “Ken-san’s been wanting to recruit him for a time but Haru never showed interest.”_

_“What did he mean by training?”_

_“Oh, he’s an athlete."  Nozaki explained. "He swims.”_

_“Ah, like…” Sakura blinked as she remembered a conversation she had with Mikorin just a few hours ago. “Like Mikorin’s cousin… who he’s meeting right now.” She blinked, tugging her phone from her pocket. “Could you and Mikorin be distant cousins by any chance?” She asked, laughing a bit at the idea._

_“There’s always a chance, right?” Nozaki gamely agreed, eyes shining in an obvious way that says he’s thinking about shoujo manga cliches right now._

_Sakura thought back to Mikorin and Mayu sitting side-by-side, shoulders touching, in front of the TV just last week. She shook her head repeatedly, waving her hand in front of her face in emphasis. “No, no, no, definitely not. That would be bad.”_

_“Bad?”_

_“Never mind,” Sakura hurriedly said, shooing that conversation away. She looked at her phone instead and shot Mikorin a quick message._

**_[Mikorin,_ **

**_What’s your cousin’s name?]_ **

_Barely a minute later (because Mikorin has been texting like crazy lately and won’t place his phone down unless in class), there was a reply.  
_

**_[Sakura,_ **

**_Mikoshiba Seijuurou and Momotarou. They brought some of their team mates from high school though.]_ **

**_[Mikorin,_ **

**_Do they know Haruka Nanase?]_ **

**_[Sakura,_ **

**_OH! THEY DO. His boyfriend’s here. Nanase-san’s on his way here. How do you know him?]_ **

_“Haruka-kun’s meeting up with Mikorin and his cousins right now.” Sakura looked up to see Nozaki watching her closely. “One of their cousin’s team mate is Haruka-kun’s boyfriend.”  
_

_Nozaki looked surprised. “Rin’s team mates?”_

_“You know Haruka-kun’s boyfriend?” Sakura was surprised they were that close. Nozaki didn’t seem like the type to know these things._

_“Rin asked for my autograph, too.” Nozaki’s amusement was obvious. “Just like you did. He said his sister was a fan.’_

_Sakura smiled wryly, wondering if this Rin shouted 'I like you!’ as well. Hopefully not. Only Sakura should endure that embarrassment. She won’t wish that kind of misfortune on anyone else. "We should meet up with Mikorin later when we’re done here.” She suggested, looking down at her phone to reply once again._

_“Sure,” Nozaki looked around then, searching for his parents and brother. “We could get out of here and sightsee, if you want.”_

_“Take pictures for reference?” Sakura asked, already preempting the inevitable disappointing motive behind Nozaki’s plan._

_Nozaki raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “No,” he said. “I just wanted to see the sights with you.”_

_Sakura’s whole face turned red, heartbeat going faster. “O-okay!”_

_—_

_On the other hand…_

**_[Sakura,_ **

**_WHAT SHOULD I DO, CHIYO??? Mayumayu just said she was in the area!!! Should we meet up? CHIYOOO]_ **

**_[Sakura,_ **

**_HELP ME]_ **

**_[Sakura,_ **

**_ohmygod]_ **

**_[Sakura,_ **

**_I just met Mayumayu………]_ **

**_[Sakura,_ **

**_am i gay???]_ **


	119. alien tamer nagisa /cop rin [nagirin]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> written for freerarepair week day 1

The moment his alarm blared and he reached out to stop it, Rin knew something was wrong. There was a light weight pressing on his chest and when he moved, it wiggled closer. He forced his eyes open to look, and was unsurprised to see a tiny pink blob with a red heart for its eyes. An alien. Specifically, the alien that has been very obvious about its obsession with Rin. Nagisa called him Pinky.

He groaned and sat up, staring at the pink blob in distress. It was too early for this. (It was always too early for aliens to mess with his life, to be honest. If he had a choice, he’d want all of them away from him forever.)

“Pinky, go home,” he said, voice sleep-rough and annoyed. “Or I’ll tell Nagisa to place you in that confinement room of his.”

The alien made an annoyed trilling noise as it hovered a few inches off Rin’s chest. It looked like a jellyfish with the way it was moving. “Priiiii~!” It shouted at him before flying off to the open window on the side of the room.

Dammit. He’d have to remember to close that one tonight.

*

“It’s not  _my_  fault,” Nagisa was pouting as he stared up at Rin. He looked like a little kid, what with the overabundance of cake in front of him and the presence of the stuffed toy-like aliens on the seats around him. Pinky was nowhere to be seen, but Aqua and Sunshine were sitting on either side of the table. Rin still wasn’t sure why Haruka let those things sit here when they scare some of the customers away.

“They’re yours!” Rin motioned to the two aliens. Sunshine made an energetic-sounding squeal, always so happy to be noticed even when it’s the bad kind of attention. Aqua didn’t even look at Rin, as cold as ice like always. “Rein them in, won’t you?”

“Pinky was supposed to be sleeping!” Nagisa poked at his strawberry shortcake. “I checked!”

Rin sighed. “Why would he want to sneak into my bed, anyway?”

Nagisa speared a large cut of the cake and chomped it, chewing it thoughtfully as he shrugged. “Pfinthy ish-”

“Oi!” Rin flicked him in the forehead, frowning in disapproval. “Chew first before speaking. How many times do I have to tell you this?” He sighed exasperatedly.

He chewed obediently and smiled widely once he swallowed. “Sorry!” He said, sounding as unapologetic as always. “Pinky is just a creature of love. It  _likes_ you,” he explained teasingly. “It just wants hugs?”

Rin frowned. “Why me, though?”

Nagisa chewed on another bite, throwing an innocent look at Rin before replying, “You’re very likeable?”

Rin refused to reply to that, simply deciding to groan and hit his head on the table repeatedly.

*

It was a quiet day at the precinct as always. Their town was a peaceful one, after all. Other than that weird time when they had phantom thieves in their area, nothing much has happened lately. So far, there was only that one explosion at Rei’s, and that public disturbance when one fisherman kept shouting outside Haruka’s restaurant, claiming Haruka was not a human. It was a stupid argument, seeing as they had actual aliens flying all around the city because of Nagisa’s… job.

No one even filed complaints against the aliens anymore. A year ago, when Nagisa landed his spaceship in the middle of their street and brought the jelly-like aliens to them, there was an uproar. People shouted about alien invasions. People ran away from their town in fear of being the first one to be brainwashed.

It was all ridiculous.

Anyone with two eyes could see how cute the aliens were, and how Nagisa treated them like his pets.

(On the first place, Rin was the first one on the site, confronting Nagisa about his spaceship. Nagisa’s first words were “Ah! I’m sorry for illegally parking, mister cop!” Even now, Rin could not believe that was his first words after  _crashing into the road_. Stupidly, Rin had replied with “This is more public property damage than anything”. Nagisa stared at him with wide eyes before bursting out laughing.)

When the townspeople stopped to watch them properly, they all came to the conclusion that it wasn’t anything dangerous. Nagisa was hailed as the “Alien Tamer” and was given free-pass to live in their town. NASA sent their people to check, but the whole town rallied to make sure no harm would be brought to their new neighbors.

(It was a touching moment. Rin might have teared up a bit.)

*

Rin was shook off his stupor when a tiny blob dropped on his head. A quick glance up proved his suspicions. “Pinky,” he sighed. “I’m working.”

“Priii~” Pinky sounded happy and innocent, like he didn’t care if Rin was working or not, like he’d stay here and play anyway. Pinky was very much like Nagisa that way. Nagisa had a nasty habit of clinging into people too, and his favorite person to annoy was also Rin.

“It’s not like we’re doing anything,” Sousuke said from the other table, looking amusedly at the alien on top of Rin’s head. He was enjoying this, because he was that kind of friend. The horrible kind. “Why don’t you walk your tiny alien friend around town and do your patrol at the same time?”

Rin narrowed his eyes at his best friend and colleague. “You’re the worst.”

Sousuke just chuckled and shooed him off. “Say hi to Hazuki for me.”

“I’m not going to Nagisa’s!” Rin yelled back as he rode his bike off towards his usual patrolling circuit. Pinky stayed latched on to his head, refusing to fly. “You’re really like Nagisa, aren’t you?” He asked, knowing full well that the highly-advanced alien would understand his words. Nagisa had given the whole town pamphlets to understand some of the basic things about the aliens, after all. “He never quite knows when to stop clinging to people,” he mused as he biked forward. “Annoying everyone in the way with that large smile of his.”

He laughed, remembering how Nagisa earned free lodgings at the apartment complex in front of Haruka’s restaurant because of how the old landlady liked having the young guy around. Nagisa was like the sun, she’d said when Rin asked. Nagisa was like this tiny ball of energy and the aliens were his moons, hovering around him and reflecting his light.

He even got Haruka to add some desserts in his menu, when the restaurant simply focused on seafoods before. Nagisa had marched inside the place, looked Haruka in the eye and asked, “Can’t you make something sweet for me, please? That would make me really happy!” Miracle of miracles, Haruka had agreed. He added strawberry shortcake to the menu and told Nagisa to request anything he wants every month.

“He gets everything he wants, doesn’t he?”

PInky floated away from his head and towards the handle of the bike, perching there. Its eyes widened dramatically as it hummed a high pitch. It felt like a reprimanding sound.

“What?”

It didn’t reply in sounds, and instead floated towards the direction of the observatory.

Rin sighed. “You want to see Nagisa?”

It floated on, and Rin could only follow.

*

The observatory had a small gathering of scientists today, so it was mostly closed to public. The security guard was a friend though, and he knew Rin was always welcome to Nagisa’s office so Rin was able to walk through and follow Pinky inside.

They ended up inside the largest conference room inside the building. Pinky quietly slid inside and plopped down an empty chair at the very back row, so Rin followed in stealthily, not wanting to get any of their attentions.

Nagisa was lecturing in front about something. There were scientific terms on the slide presented, but there was also a picture of the aliens. They were discussing the mental process of Pinky and the others. To Rin’s side, Pinky was a humming a show tune of a certain old hero show, seemingly not caring that it was being discussed right now by a group of people.

Rin watched as Nagisa smiled his way through everyone’s questions, charming his way even to these old men’s hearts.

Then the discussion went to another topic. This time about the alien’s emotional capacity.

First, there was Aqua and its cool disposition, apathetic to most things except when its friends were in danger. Sunshine was always excited, always bouncing off the walls. Sapphire was caring and always drifted to people in need, showing a surprising amount of empathy even to strangers. Then there was Pinky, the one with the big heart as its eyes, the one who was clingy and affectionate to specific people.

There were questions about the chemistry of their small bodies, answered by Rei who was standing by the side of the stage as support. There were other questions, but what struck Rin the most was the one about  _learning_.

“They’re always with you, yes?” One of the old, strict-looking men in front stood up and stared him down. Nagisa didn’t falter, just smiled widely and nodded. “Then according to this log, their emotional development mirrors yours, yes?” Another nod. “The reason why Aqua got protective of more than his alien friends was because you showed it to care for your friends as well.”

Nagisa nodded and added, “I let Sunshine go out and see lots of things so it could experience more. Sapphire’s empathy grew when it saw the firemen saving people when we observed. They’re very smart creatures, and I provide the most conducive space for learning for them.”

The old man’s face softened as he asked, “So this log about Pinky…?”

Nagisa blinked for a few seconds, going forward to check his own files before he blushed faintly. He laughed, sudden and breathless, then said, “I suppose that makes sense.”

“Getting relationship epiphanies from aliens who can’t speak our language must be a weird experience,” The old man and various others were laughing now as well.

“Not as weird as finding them and crashing into the surface of Earth,” Nagisa said, grinning.

*

Rin was supposed to go alongside everyone, blending into the crowd and going back to patrolling like he was supposed to do. Because it was  _his job_. But Pinky took one look at him and plopped on his lap like a very demanding cat, not letting him go. And once every scientist was gone, Pinky floated up and made a whistling noise, getting Nagisa’s attention immediately.

_Oh, crap._

“Rin-chan!” Nagisa smiled widely upon seeing him, jogging forward to reach him before he could bolt. “Were you here the whole time?”

“Came in during the mental process slide.”

Nagisa snickered, shaking his head with mock disapproval. “Rin-chan, this is an invites-only conference. You’re  _trespassing_.”

Rin rolled his eyes. “My house is an invites-only house, as well.”

“I told you! That wasn’t my fault,” Nagisa insisted, but his smile was knowing now instead of the petulant childish expression earlier.

“If I heard correctly, it most certainly is,” Rin shot back smugly.

Nagisa pouted, snatching Pinky from Rin’s side and cuddling on to him. “Not my fault you left your window open.”

“Victim blaming is not good, Nagisa.”

“But Rin-chan! Pinky was the one who snuck on your bed, not meee~” Nagisa puffed up his cheeks, shaking Pinky at Rin’s face. “Despite what my emotions are, their actions are theirs. They are very intelligent creatures.” Pinky wriggled off of him and plopped down on Rin’s head again, making an annoyed sound as if it was offended by Nagisa’s insinuations.

Rin just shook his head fondly, pulling the younger man and putting his arms around him. He perched his chin on top of Nagisa’s head and said, “I don’t understand why you’d want hugs. You always  _give_ hugs. Whether I like it or not.”

“Mister Yamaoka seems to think I specifically want hugs in bed.” Nagisa said, sounding amused despite himself.

“ _My_ bed?” Rin asked, laughter in his voice.

“I don’t know, maybe it was just because your window was open,” Nagisa replied, giggling into Rin’s chest now.

“Oh shut up, I heard I’m very likeable.”

Rin was pretty sure Pinky made an agreeing noise. Nagisa just giggled harder.


	120. Firsts / Confessions [NagiRin]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Nagisa, sometimes you surprise me by suddenly asking me to hang out, but I don’t dislike that spontaneity of yours.](http://nagisaperopero.tumblr.com/post/111320455096/free-character-interviews-vol-6-translation)

If Rin was counting this right, this was their 15th time hanging out without any of the others. The first time was, of course, when Rin impulsively decided to join Nagisa in watching that  _not-at-all-a-tear-jerker_  movie and then ending up eating out and going to the arcades for endless rounds of the crane game.

Rin thought it would be a one-time thing, but the moment he received a text message from Nagisa asking if he was free, he couldn’t help but reply “yeah, wanna hang out?”

Nagisa was just… he was always so excited about everything, had laughter following him, and always seemed to see exciting things that people didn’t usually see. For all that he was hyper and enthusiastic, Rin found that being around the boy was strangely peaceful. Whether it was because Rin was not expected to be anything but himself (not a captain, or a great swimmer, or even a good senpai), or because Nagisa’s natural over-excitement just brings out the zen in Rin (it’s like homeostasis, the way the more Nagisa pushes, the more Rin calms down), no one really knows. It just happens, and Rin wants more of it.

The reply he got was a simple date and place. That second time, they went to a park to play frisbee and feed ducks. It was fun, for some reason Rin could not explain in any logical sense. At one point, the kids playing on that Sunday afternoon in the park gathered around them and tried to take the frisbee from them (because Nagisa kept on taunting them like a mischievous child himself). Nagisa seemed to have all these new experiences just waiting for Rin to experience.

The third one was flying kites at another park. (Nagisa befriended a dog halfway through and  _would not stop running around_. Rin might have “accidentally” tied him up with their extra strings.) The fourth one was at a planetarium exhibit. (Nagisa fell asleep while watching the stars in the main hall. He badgered Rin to explain the whole exhibit again from the start when they ate snacks at the planetarium cafe.)

The fifth, sixth and seventh ones were at laser tag. (Rin had to reiterate that  _no one should know_  how much he enjoyed it. Or that he bought them matching t-shirts because Nagisa wanted it. Or that he also got both of them memberships at the place.  _No one is allowed to know_.)

The eight one was at Nagisa’s house, because his parents and his sisters were actually out-of-town and he insisted that he was  _extremely_  lonely on his own (despite the fact that Nagisa was more often in Haruka’s house at that time than inside his own house, Rin had heard from Makoto.) They watched Frozen, because it reminded Nagisa of Rin and he wanted Rin to know all the lyrics to Let It Go (which was stupid, because he will  _never_ memorize something like that.  ~~More like, he already did~~.) (He also did  _not_ cry, no matter what Nagisa says. There were just snowflakes in his eyes.)

The ninth and tenth ones were at a two-day film festival at the other town. Rin had to sneak out from an increasingly suspicious Nitori (who seems to think Rin has an alter ego and saves people from burning houses on the regular), and ride a bus to the diner where he was supposed to meet Nagisa. Nagisa told him he sneaked out from an increasingly suspicious Gou and Rei as well (because they seem to think Nagisa goes off and breaks the law when they’re not looking, which, Rin would agree, is a fair assumption. Nagisa pouted and told him to buy 5 different types of cakes because of that comment.)

The eleventh one was supposed to be a ‘coffee-shop hopping’ day, because Nagisa was on a quest to find the most affordable but most delicious mocha caramel latte in the whole Sano-Iwatobi area. What happened, though, was an extremely nerve-wracking game of hide and seek. With Nagisa and Rin hiding and the whole of the Iwatobi and Samezuka swim club as “it”. Well, they weren’t exactly searching for Nagisa or Rin, but they did seem to appear  _everywhere_. Apparently, Saturday afternoon is a day to drink coffee for tired athletes. Rin knew that now, and will  _never ever_  go on that day again.

The twelfth one was when Gou was on a sleepover with Chigusa. Nagisa just barged in the house, exchanged pleasantries with Rin’s mom and plopped on their couch, telling Rin to put in a DVD. It was supposed to be a night of watching another batch of DVDs (all the Ring movies). Well, that happened too, but Rin’s mom was adamant that because it was late, Nagisa should call his parents to say he’s sleeping over. Nagisa happily complied. (Rin’s mom smirked at Rin before going to her study room and locking her door. It was the kind of smirk that meant she knew more than Rin did, and that she will use it to her own advantage. Rin’s mom is really a scary woman.) Nagisa also had a spare toothbrush, a pair of pajamas and an extra shirt with him. When Rin accused “you planned this”, Nagisa just grinned at him and did not deny it.

The thirteenth one wasn’t even with them physically together. It was when Nagisa called Rin and told him to  _please, please, pleaseee join this game so I could get 500 gold_. Rin didn’t do things halfway, so he levelled up quickly while playing with Nagisa and talking to him on the phone. Rin fell asleep to Nagisa’s sleepy murmurs of “Rinrin’s the best, really the best… catching all the ogres for me…”

The fourteenth one, the one before today, was when Nagisa wanted moral support for a competition he was joining. Rin went in there, ready to give a pep talk and some advice about Nagisa’s swimming form, but was dumbfounded to find out the competition wasn’t the one he had in mind. Nagisa pulled him into a steak house that would let you eat as much as you want as long as you could eat their Godzilla Steak, which was gigantic as its name implies, in less than five minutes. “I hate you,” Rin had said, which was something he took back an hour after when the manager gave them the best tasting meat he had ever tasted in his entire life  _for free._ Nagisa was pretty smug about it for the whole day, even when they were jogging at the nearby park to lose whatever weight they gained from eating too much meat in one sitting.

So there. Today was their fifteenth time hanging out without any of their other friends (and without their knowledge).

When they finally met at the diner, Rin had already ordered a huge meal, most of it being Nagisa’s favorites. It was understandable that by now, Rin had full understanding of how much food Nagisa wanted and which exactly he’d want from the menu.

“Rin-chan~!” Nagisa squeezed at Rin’s side and half-hugged him as always, with Rin instinctively putting an arm around Nagisa’s shoulder as well. He thinks it was on the seventh one that Nagisa decided to always sit beside Rin instead of across from him in the diner booth. “Were you waiting long?” He grinned cheekily, knowing full well how he sounded like a stereotypical  _shoujo manga_  heroine on a date.

Ignoring the comment, Rin gestured towards the bulk of food on their table. “The waitress didn’t even bat an eye when I gave my order.”

Nagisa giggled. “Maa-chan knows us already.”

Rin just shook his head in disbelief. “And you know her name, apparently.”

“Oh, don’t get jealous.” Nagisa said teasingly. “She was just talking to me one time because she wanted to make sure we eat here all the time. You give a large tip every time.”

“I feel so used,” Rin scrunched up his nose, scowling at the direction of the waitress who was wiping some tables on the other side of the diner.

Nagisa just laughed and pulled a plate closer. “Aw, you got me my favorite cake!”

Rin swatted at his hand and grabbed the cake to place it on his side of the table. “Desserts for  _after_.”

“But  _cake_ , Rin-chan! It’s  _always_  time for cake!”

“So you say,” Rin sternly refused to balk despite the puppy eyes being cranked up to eleven. Maybe he’s gaining an immunity against those eyes. Then again, he  _did_  just spend a large amount of his allowance on food that’s not even for him, so that was debatable.

As usual, Nagisa went on to tell a story about one thing or the other. They never really ate in silence, mostly because Nagisa won’t ever shut up no matter what he’s chewing. Rin’s only slightly successful in making Nagisa chew first before speaking, but that’s only because Nagisa somehow learned how to chew quickly, say a sentence just as quickly, chew again and then finish the sentence. It’s become a talent now.

Nagisa’s story today was about his classmates and how they’re getting obsessed with a particular TV show. Rin doesn’t watch TV, never really has time for it since the only TV in the dorm is in the cafeteria and in the lounge, both places he doesn’t stay in usually. He listened to Nagisa’s story, though, as attentively as he can, because Nagisa’s voice and his energy has perfected the balance between ‘infectious joy’ and ‘calming’. It’s another talent Nagisa has.

After eating, Rin watched as Maa-chan cleaned their table and winked at Nagisa encouragingly, as if they’re sharing a secret. She came back a minute later with a small slice of green tea cake they don’t have in the menu.

“What-” Rin started to say, but Maa-chan leaned in to interject in a whisper, saying, “It’s on the house. Part of the secret menu for our loyal customers.” She leaned back and looked at the two with a large smile on her face. “Happy monthsary, sirs!” She walked off, humming to herself.

Rin just stared down at the cake, then at Nagisa, then back at the cake. “What the  _hell_  just happened?” he asked, confused beyond anything.

Nagisa giggled into his hands, taking one of the forks and spearing one large bite for himself. He chewed slowly, obviously enjoying the annoyance growing in Rin’s expression. He swallowed audibly and shrugged. “Free secret cake,” he said, as if that was enough explanation.

Which it was, to be fair. “I bought you your favorite cake,” Rin sighed exasperatedly, giving Nagisa the stink-eye. “You still wanted another cake?”

“You don’t understand, Rinrin,” Nagisa snickered, as if Rin was the one being illogical here. “This is a  _free secret cake_. It’s  _special_.” He took another bite and made a pleased noise at the taste. “Besides, it is our monthsary. Technically.”

“Except we’re  _not_  dating,” Rin raised an eyebrow challengingly.

“No one said it was a monthsary for  _dating_.” Nagisa shot back, smug. “Today marks the 5th month since the first time we ate here!”

“You’re a con man,” was Rin’s only response to that.

Nagisa laughed and cut off a small bit off the cake, bringing the fork towards Rin’s face. “Say aaah~”

“Nope, no-” But of course, Nagisa just went ahead and shoved the cake at his mouth, because he doesn’t know what proper eating etiquette meant, no matter how many times Rin tried to teach him.

“Delicious, right?”

Rin blinked as the taste spread through his mouth. It wasn’t that sweet, just the right amount of flavor and softness to be appetizing to him. “…yeah,” he nodded, surprised. “It does.”

“I knew it!” Nagisa looked extremely pleased. “I asked Maa-chan if they had a cake that isn’t that sweet. She told me about this.”

Rin took the fork and took another bite thoughtfully, mulling over that. “So you asked me to meet up so we can con her into giving us a cake.”

Nagisa gasped, fake-affronted. “It  _is_  our monthsary.”

“If that’s the lie you tell yourself to sleep at night, sure.”

They talked some more about Iwatobi’s training versus Samezuka’s before paying their bill. Rin left some tip as usual, and tried not to react to Nagisa’s shit-eating grin or to Maa-chan’s delighted expression or her shout of “have fun!” when they were at the door.

“So, where are we going today?” Rin asked, glancing at Nagisa.

“Hm,” Nagisa looked up at the sky, hands clasped together at his back as he skipped forward on the road. “Let’s walk to the park for now?” He asked, looking at Rin for approval. When Rin nodded, they strode forward to the familiar road towards the park.

There was silence for a whole minute, a comfortable one despite the infrequency of it when it comes to them.

“Gou-chan said something funny yesterday,” Nagisa said, voice getting suspiciously innocent-sounding, which was a large sign that he was anything but. “She told me that it’s okay to tell her anything, that she won’t be angry no matter what secret I was keeping.”

“Hm?”

“She said she saw me wearing a t-shirt that looked exactly like the one you were hiding in your closet,” Nagisa was biting his lip now, which meant he was trying hard not to smile at Rin’s expression.

“ _What?_ ”

“She also might have implied something about  _hiding in closets_ ,” he added, almost too gleefully.

“ _What_.”

“Also!” Nagisa was enjoying this, it was clear. “Mako-chan thanked me for taking care of Rin-chan!”

Rin groaned and slapped a hand to hide his eyes, as if this would all stop if he wills it to. “ _Jesus,_ ” Then, with alarming clarity, Rin looked back to Sousuke’s comment before he went out today. He had patted Rin on the back and said that he was glad Rin was happy. “ _Oh god_ ,”

Nagisa giggled, stopping on his tracks to face Rin. “And,” he took out the receipt from the diner earlier, the one Maa-chan slipped on Nagisa’s hand earlier. “Maa-chan wrote ‘ _you two are totally dating, stop lying to yourselves_ ’ in this piece of paper.”

Rin didn’t even have words for this. He just groaned to his hands some more.

“Hey, Rinrin,” Nagisa tugged at Rin’s hands, watching as they dropped down revealing Rin’s red face. “What do you think about that?” He tilted his head to the right questioningly, eyes soft and expression fond. It was so unfair how Nagisa of all people could look that mature and understanding. Rin was older than him! (By just a few months, but still.)

“I don’t know,” Rin answered, or more like  _croaked out_ , throat feeling too tight to speak and lungs feeling too exhausted to breathe. Nagisa just waited him out, because he knew when exactly to use silence to his advantage. “You’re really unfair,” he said, frowning. “Brat.”

Nagisa grinned at that. “I’m not the one who bought a stuffed toy and a  _couples’ shirt_.”

Rin scowled. “I’m not the one who planned a surprise sleepover at my house.”

“You’re the one who paid in the diner all the time,”

“You’re the one who planned  _every_  date,” Rin stopped, frown deepening and ears turning red. “ _Ohgod_ , they  _were_ dates!” He stopped. “No, I’m pretty sure you need to be  _in a relationship_  to have dates.” He narrowed his eyes at the road. “Wait,” His head was not working that well in the face of all these revelations

Nagisa laughed. “Which is why,” he pulled a box from his pocket, brandishing it towards Rin. “We weren’t _really_  dating, but-”

Rin stepped back, eyeing the box. “That is not a ring, is it.” He asked flatly, eyes widening.

That brought another burst of laughter. Nagisa was enjoying this too much. He opened the box to reveal a red weaved anklet with a silver little shark and a penguin dangling from it. (Because he knew, of  _course he did_ , that Rin’s favorite kind of accessory was the anklet.) “Rin-chan,” he started, his face doing that soft and fond thing again. “I really like you. Will you go on a real date with me?”

Rin looked back at the last five months, and knew there was nothing else he wanted more.

_“Sure,”_

*

For their first official date, they went to the diner (where Maa-chan gave them a parfait for celebration), then went to watch a movie at the local theater.

It was pretty much like the last five months. Except when Rin walked Nagisa to his house, Nagisa surged forward and kissed Rin right there at his doorsteps.

_It was a perfect first date._


	121. rin is a clock [rin-centric crack]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> backstory: once upon a time kyoani decided to re-use one of their magazine illustrations for [the iwatobi clock](https://66.media.tumblr.com/935ecf709cac92ac60f1749776c60f68/tumblr_inline_pasr8fcSsR1qlybcy_500.png) merch. This was fine, except they erased rin from the said illustration since he isn't an iwatobi. this was....... not a good move, given how frustrated the fans were already at the separation of rin from the others

_Haruka glares at his clock in anger, cursing the day he let Nagisa buy him this high-tech “talking clock” with its pre-programmed speech patterns. It’s a clock. Why does it need speech patterns?_

_“Oi! Oi! Oi! Wake up!” It continues to shout with annoyance. “Goddammit, Haru! Just wake up already! Stop wasting time!”  
_

_Whoever made this might have wanted the world’s angriest clock. Haruka wonders if Nagisa could give it back to the shop. Maybe Haruka could throw it away and pretend it got lost. Maybe he could accidentally drop it from the second floor._

_“Time is precious, do you know that?” The clock’s voice was softer now. It has very human-sounding variations, which is one reason why Haruka can’t quite throw it away. (The voice could sound nice when it’s not shouting.) And also why Nagisa bought it in the first place. He said Haruka might get lonely now that his best friend was studying in Tokyo. (He also said the voice reminded him of someone, though he doesn’t quite remember who. He thought it would cheer Haruka up if he hears it every day. The plan backfired.) “One moment, you’re spending time with the people you love, then the next, you suddenly turn into a fucking-” A buzzing noise comes out, as if something was electrocuted in the clock’s wires. It stops just as quickly. “JUST WAKE UP ALREADY!”  
_

_Haruka stares at the clock for one long moment, his sleepy mind trying to parse what it meant by that. “You say really long sentences,” he notes while sitting up. He rubs at his eyes and gets out of bed. “You must be expensive.”_

_“Nah,” it answers, as if it was normal for a clock to speak to a person. Then again, Haruka remembers Rei saying things like “SIRI” and “Artificial Intelligence” so maybe it was already normal. Haruka wouldn’t know. He doesn’t even have a TV. “I’m only free.” Its voice was strangely sad.  
_

_A memory, or is it a dream, tugs at Haruka’s head. Red hair, bright eyes. He shakes his head to clear his head. He still needs to make breakfast. He stands up and clicks the button on top of the clock, silencing it. The quiet is strangely unappealing. He shakes the feeling off and goes off to start his day._

_The moment the door closes, a soft whistling sound comes from the clock. “Fuck this,” the clock sighs. “Fuck this curse so much.” He wonders when Haruka will remember him again. He wonders if anyone can even remember and break this curse._


	122. time travel angst [harurin]

_The witch tells him, “Boy, you have pain coursing through you. Every single breath you take is made of sadness and despair. Let me help you.”_

_The witch tells him, “Let me help you find happiness.”_

_The witch tells him, “The lost chance you regret, let me give it back to you.”_

_He wakes up in his 13 years old body, at the side of the road, in front of a familiar railway. He knew exactly what date it was, knew exactly what he was supposed to do._

_When he sees Haruka on the other side of the railway, he pastes on a huge smile, a smile he wouldn’t have been able to make if he was really 13 and lonely from being away for too long. He smiles and shouts, “Haru!”_

_He watches the way Haruka smiles, the way he pouts, the way he so obviously misses Rin._

_He says, “I’ll be staying in Japan for a few days. Wanna hang out some time?”_

_When Haruka smiles, eyes shining, Rin knows he’s got this._

_*_

_He spends those days with Haruka, going jogging with him in the morning, swimming with him when the swim club is about to close. There, he sees Makoto and Nagisa, and promptly asks both to hang out, too. Gou sneaks into their conversations, and before long, Sousuke is in on it too. Rin can’t help the blast of happiness he feels when he thinks about how even when he goes back to Australia, the people he loves would be waiting for him together right here._

_The morning before he rides his plane, he tells them, “I’ll write to you. Make sure you write too, okay?” He offers them a cheeky grin, a peace-sign and then he runs off._

_He writes himself a short letter, because he’s not sure how much of this was his memories and how much would be the younger Rin’s. He doesn’t want to backslide now when it’s so crucial._

_He falls asleep on the plane._

_*_

_When he wakes up, it’s to the feeling of lips on his forehead. And when he opens his eyes, he sees Haruka’s blue eyes staring right at him._

_“Hey,” Haruka whispers, looking and sounding barely awake. “Makoto’s calling us.”_

_Rin blinks, unsure. His head is a little muddled still. “Wha-?”_

_The door slams open, and Rin looks up to see Makoto barging in with both of his hands on his eyes. “Are you naked?”_

_Haruka huffs. “You’ve seen us naked,” he says, as if it was no big deal._

_Rin is very confused right now. Did he wake up in a world where he’s in a polyamorous relationship with the two…?_

_“Haru!” Makoto exclaims, sounding scandalized. “I don’t want to see you two naked!”  
_

_Oh. No, then._

_“We’re not naked,” Rin answers, just to get it over and done with. “What are you doing here?”  
_

_“Nagisa’s at the swimming pool already. If we don’t hurry, he might drown Nitori-san!” Makoto sounds really serious and panicked.  
_

_“Wha-” Rin doesn’t even know what part to react to. “I mean, why are you in my-” Bits of memories enter his mind. Coming back on his 2nd year of High School. Being welcomed by Haruka, Nagisa, Makoto, Sousuke and Gou at the airport. Being in Samezuka with all the boys. Being in the same class as Makoto and Haruka.  
_

_He remembers a kiss under a cherry blossom tree. A confession. Tears and a hug and a promise to swim the relay again._

_“My head hurts,” he groans.  
_

_Haruka looks at him with a frown, sitting up and placing a hand on his forehead. “You’re fine,” he says. “Maybe you overslept.”_

_Rin groans again as he stands up. It’ll get some getting used to, having all these memories in his head. Maybe some would disappear in time. It’s not normal to have lived two lives._

_“You can skip practice, if you want to.” Makoto looks really worried now. “I’ll tell Mikoshiba-san that you’re not feeling well.”  
_

_“Thanks,” Rin says, smiling up at him. Makoto walks off, but Haruka stays by his side. “Hey, aren’t you going? It’s the pool, you know?”  
_

_Haruka raises an eyebrow at him. “You’re alright on your own?” He sounds so warm and affectionate, it makes Rin want to kiss him._

_Actually, he can. He leans forward and places a chaste kiss on Haruka’s lips, grinning when he pulls back. “I’ll be fine. It’s…” He tries to rummage through his memories. “Saturday today, right? Gou’s visiting.”_

_Haruka nods slowly, leaning forward again for a kiss before standing up. “Call Makoto if you need anything.”_

_Rin just laughs at that, knowing full well that even if some things has changed, Haruka still doesn’t bring his phone anywhere._

_*_

_The first days seems like a dream to him. It could be just a dream, maybe. He’s not even sure if magic is real or if he’s just in some inception-level dream._

_It’s all dream-like. Haruka rooms with him, Sousuke with Makoto, Nagisa with Ai. They’re all close friends. Every morning, they jog together for training. Every night, Nagisa drags him to after-school practice. Every time he wakes up, he could climb up the bunk bed and just drape himself on Haruka. Every time he sleeps, he gets a good night kiss._

_It’s all very dream-like. But it feels very real._

_And just like everything real, it can’t be perfect._

_*_

_He first visits Gou a week after the whole time-travel event. His memories are mostly okay now. Sometimes he dreams about times when Haruka wears a blue uniform instead of white, about times when Makoto’s face looked at him with extreme sadness, but it’s all in the past now. Or in an alternate universe, he’s not sure._

_He visits Gou and it all goes well._

_That was, until he sees Ryuugazaki Rei sitting on the side of the track and field, expression filled with frustration, looking too serious, more serious than he’s ever seen him in the Other Life. Memories flash in his mind: of Rei smiling shyly at Haruka and the others, of Rei laughing with Nagisa, of the four boys swimming on the beach, of Rei’s protectiveness when he said he just wanted his teammates to be happy._

_He goes home, lies down on his bed and realizes he stole Rei’s chance at happiness to gain his own._

_*_

_From there, it feels like every time he sees Nagisa, he sees the brighter smile he stole. Nagisa in Samezuka is more built, more determined, more mature despite the remaining childishness. He eats better now, more healthy than Gou used to tell Rin about. Rin can’t help but feel like he corrupted the pure soul he was in the Other Life._

_It feels like every time he sees Makoto watch the other swimmers, he sees the strength he stole. Makoto isn’t the captain here, doesn’t get pushed into a leadership role he didn’t want, doesn’t gain the quiet command he had in the Other Life._

_And then there’s Haruka._

_Haruka who loves him. Who smiles for him. Who kisses him and lets him feel like this was the best decision in his life._

_Haruka is happy. Haruka is filled with passion. Haruka is determined._

_The Haruka in Samezuka is the Haruka Rin has always wanted._

_But the more Rin thinks about it, the more he remembers how Haruka is always free. He remembers how Haruka has always chosen his own path. He remembers how infuriating it was that Haruka refused to just follow his lead, but how that same stubbornness was the reason he fell in love with him._

_It feels like every time he sees Haruka, he sees the wings he stole._

_*_

_The witch tells him, “Boy, I gave you a chance for happiness.”_

_The witch tells him, “You might regret this.”_

_The witch tells him, “What reality do you choose?”_

_He wakes up in his bunk bed, with Nitori shaking his arm, saying “Senpai, we’ve got to go!” He thinks he dreamed about something, something beautiful and painful, but he doesn’t remember._

_*_

_A lot of things happen._

_He gets kicked out of the relay team, he loses the individual freestyle race, he runs away._

_Haruka chases after him, convinces him to swim, tells him that this was **for the team**._

_After years of darkness, it feels like seeing the light again._

_*_

_He has dreams of days when Haruka would kiss his forehead, when Nagisa would push Ai playfully, when Mikoshiba would race Makoto on the pool. He doesn’t know why they’re so vivid, but he feels like they could be prophecies._

_“I’m Matsuoka Rin, 17 years old. I may have a girly name but I’m a boy.”  
_

_He looks around, trying to show how bored he was, though deep down he had a warm feeling in his chest. Rei looks at him with an exasperated expression. Nagisa gleefully criticizes him. Makoto snidely comments something with that impish but gentle smile._

_Haruka stands up and rolls his eyes at them. “Let’s go,” he says, walking towards the door where Nitori and Gou were waiting._

_Rin watches them all walk ahead of him. It doesn’t feel like the dream he had, but this was the reality he’s been given._


	123. apartment neighbors au [soumako]

Makoto turns 20. He can legally drink now. Rin is in Japan. Haruka is visiting Tokyo. They’re having a party.

It gets messy. Rin doesn’t drink, won’t drink  _ever_ , but he’s an enabler and he likes to see Makoto all loosened up and happily drunk. It’s his  _duty_ as a friend. Haruka isn’t helping either, because he’s turned 20 a few months ago but hasn’t tried drinking yet, and is trying it now to show commiseration. Also, they’re strangely competing on who could get Makoto drunk first.

It gets really messy. Haruka gets drunk. He turns touchy and emotional, more open than anything Makoto has ever seen, and he ends up on Rin’s lap. Somehow. The details are fuzzy inside Makoto’s alcohol-addled brain. He vaguely remembers a heated shout of “Haru!” and a soft “Not showing up for months and showing up suddenly like an asshole, who do you think you are…” and a sobbed “it’s not like I left you…”

And Makoto doesn’t really remember what else happened next after that.

He just wakes up the next day with the worst headache in his entire life ( _never_ doing that again) and the persistent feeling that something is really off. He looks around and sees outside the window. It looks like the view he sees every morning. But the curtains are dark blue instead of his light green ones. He looks down at the sheets and sees it’s black and silky, not the cheap ones he has on his bed.

It takes an embarrassing amount of time before he realizes what’s wrong. To be fair, he has the world’s worst headache. “This isn’t my room,” he says dumbly, looking around with wide eyes.

There’s a chuckle on the side where the door is (the layout of the room is pretty much the same as his). Makoto looks to the side and sees a familiar face, but he can’t quite place who it is. “Uh… Where-”

The man looks amused. He’s just wearing a loose shirt and low-hanging sweat pants. He’s got both of his hands around a steaming cup, and he looks so comfortable standing there. It’s not helping Makoto’s headache. “You don’t remember last night?”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “I- uh- Last night?!” His voice got squeaky by the end, he can’t even hide it. “I don’t really… I remember drinking out with-” Still with wide eyes, he pulls at the blanket and peeks down. He sighs in relief upon seeing he’s fully dressed.

The man laughs again. “Don’t worry. I just let you sleep in my bed. You were really out of it yesterday, Tachibana-san.”

“How do you know my name?!”

He walks inside the room and places the cup of coffee on the nightstand beside Makoto. “I’m Sousuke. Uh, Sousuke Yamazaki of 201?”

Makoto’s hungover brain took a minute to process that. Sousuke waits patiently. “OH!” Ugh, shouting hurts. He clears his throat. “You’re my neighbor.”

“Yeah, I saw you in the bar yesterday and you were pretty much just sleep talking. Your friend called your phone when we were at the cab.”

“Oh,” Makoto looks down, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Yamazaki-kun.”

Sousuke shrugs. “It’s fine. Besides, I owe you one anyway.”

Makoto blinks in confusion. “You owe me…?”

“You really don’t remember, do you?” Sousuke chuckles. He has such a nice laugh. It’s refreshing and not something you’d expect from his intimidating build. “Last year when I moved here, I didn’t know where to buy groceries.”

Slowly, memories resurface in Makoto’s head. “Oh… You’re that guy.” Makoto can’t help but smile as he remembered exactly how Sousuke looked that day. He was sitting slumped on the side of the road with his forehead on his knees, looking dejected. Makoto remembers asking him if he was in pain and Sousuke saying he was hungry and needed to buy food but was new to the area. Makoto had said “go walk straight here and go left at the first street, that’s where the grocery is” and had watched as Sousuke turned right at the first street. Makoto rushed after him and walked him to the supermarket.

“I was going to thank you but we never really…” Sousuke shrugs. “I guess this way we’re even now?”

Makoto frowns. “I just walked you there, you know? This is so much more than that. You let me stay. This was really nice of you.” He smiles and says, “Let me make it up to you. I’ll buy you breakfast?”

Sousuke shakes his head and gestures to the open door. “Already cooked. I was going to wake you up so we can eat.”

“…you cooked breakfast for me?” Makoto really isn’t ready for this. His head hurts and Sousuke is gorgeous and the smell of the coffee and the smell of breakfast is too perfect.

“I owe you,” he repeats a second time.

“This is too much for that,” Makoto insists. “Let me buy you lunch!”

Sousuke stares at him for a second before the small amused smile turned into a mischievous one. “It’s just 9:00 am and you already think I’ll stay with you for lunch? I’m not that easy.”

Makoto felt his cheeks heating up, but mostly because he really wanted that lunch to happen and because Sousuke looks good with that smile. With a last push of courage, he gave a lopsided smile and shot back “You did let me sleep on your bed and made me breakfast?”

“Touché.” Sousuke chuckled and offered his hand. “Come on, let’s eat breakfast and figure out what to do later.”

—

They eat breakfast. The omurice Sousuke makes is delicious. When Makoto told him this, Sousuke says “feel free to drop by any time to eat with me”.

Rin calls at 10 am and asks Makoto if he was alright, apologizing repeatedly while narrating how Haruka dragged him to a hotel where they spent the night. (”We didn’t- I made him sleep, I promise! I won’t  _ever_ take advantage of Haruka, you know that right?!”)

Makoto and Sousuke goes out to find a diner to eat in, but ends up at the grocery to buy ingredients for their lunch. Sousuke smirks and says “already obsessed with my food, I see.”

They eat lunch and talk about their lives, getting to know each other belatedly.

—

Two years later, Makoto wakes up on a bed with black, silky sheets and the smell of coffee and omurice in the air. He pads through the room and sees Sousuke cooking breakfast in only his boxers. It’s a nice sight to wake up to.

He’s really thankful he got drunk that one time. He owes Haruka and Rin a round of drinks the next time they meet.


	124. samezuka betting pool [harurin]

_Kazuki isn’t really sure where it started, is the thing. Takuya just one day went up to him and told him to fess up some money for the betting pool. When he asked what it was about, Takuya gave him an exasperated expression and a simple, “What else would we bet about? Our captain and Nanase-san’s relationship, of course.”_

_The whole team was overly invested in it, so it was understandable that someone would think to earn money through it._

_Sousuke, Nitori and Momo were excluded from the secret, because as Iwashimizu succinctly explained, “they either have unfair advantage, or they would tell Captain”. It was true and everyone knew it._

_Kazuki didn’t want to bet, because it seemed really crass to do so, but Takuya just gave him his best eyebrow-raise and waited him out. Takuya knew him too well, so Kazuki took out some bills from his pocket and said, “They’ll probably be together already by the time they’re back from their trip to Australia, wouldn’t they?”_

_Takuya grinned, shrugging. “A popular choice, but not the one I chose.”_

_“And what did you choose, then?”  
_

_“They’re already hiding their relationship from us,” Takuya answered seriously, looking smug.  
_

_Kazuki narrowed his eyes. “Huh. That was an option?”_

_“Anything goes.” Takuya shrugged again. “Wanna change your choice, partner?”  
_

_Shaking his head, Kazuki just smiled, “Nah, I don’t think Captain is actually capable of hiding that. He’s the type to broadcast feelings.”_

_Takuya blinked at him for a few seconds before blurting out, “Damn, you have a point there.”_

_“Right?” Kazuki laughed. “That’s why being alone with Nanase-san in a foreign country is the best bet. Captain can’t hide while in that kind of scenario.”  
_

_Nakagawa, who seemed to have been listening in since earlier, snickered and faced the two with an impish expression. “Naive, Minami-kun. You’re underestimating our captain.”_

_“Hm?” Kazuki smiled pleasantly and asked, “What did you bet, Nakagawa-kun?”  
_

_“They’ll be together at graduation,” Nakagawa answered confidently. “He might have a hard time hiding his feelings but he’s been good at distracting that Nanase. I bet he’s planning on something grand for the confession.”  
_

_Takuya nodded to himself as he considered that. “All of you make great points.”_

_“Thinking of changing your bet now, partner?” Kazuki shot back, smiling at Takuya. “Iwashimizu-kun could erase your earlier bet.”  
_

_Takuya pouted and shook his head stubbornly. “I’ll stick with it! I swore on my honor!”_

_Laughing, Minami draped an arm around Takuya’s shoulder and affectionately leaned his head to the side. “I’ll treat you to yakiniku when I win.”_

_“IF you win.” Takuya leaned right back while rolling his eyes. “Don’t be so sure, Kazuki.”_

_—_

_“You know what I don’t understand? Why this team don’t talk about **when**  Minami and Uozumi would realize that they’re already dating,” Rin grouched as he sat on his bed, staring up at the top bunk where Sousuke was currently perched. “I feel like it’s my duty as captain to get them together before I graduate.”  
_

_Sousuke laughed, amused and mocking both at the same time, though Rin had no idea why. “This team, I swear to god…” His laughter quieted down after a few moments. He sighed. “They have other things they worry about,” Sousuke answered vaguely._

_“They should focus on their own relationship first.” Rin lied down on the bed, cradling his head on his arms. “They’ve got such a good thing going on.”  
_

_There was silence on the top bunk, followed by a soft and incomprehensible grunt._

_“What was that?”  
_

_Sousuke sighed again. “Nothing,” he answered, even though what he wanted to say was “The same goes to you.” He wondered briefly if anyone bet “when Rin and Haru meet at the Olympics” in the betting pool, because knowing his best friend, that would be the only time he’d actually end up confessing. (It would probably involve the gold medal as a sign of his never ending devotion, or something equally embarrassing. Sousuke is so excited to get it on tape.)_


	125. young idols [harurin]

_Amakata did not become Japan’s biggest producer of idols just because of luck, or even because of hard work. No. She built AMA Entertainments with her skill to spot diamonds in the rough. She started as a small time manager and investor for artists, and rose up from there._

_At 45 years old, she was now an expert at knowing someone’s raw value._

_Matsuoka Rin was special._

_He was younger than most, just turning 12 when he entered the agency. But unlike everyone else, he wasn’t shy or over-the-top. He was fresh, energetic and vibrant. He knew how to sing and dance like a pro. He could backflip. He had charisma. He was a star._

_He was good enough to be in The List._

_“But Amakata-san!” For all that he was a star, he was still a child. A very stubborn one at that. “Haru wasn’t in the list!”  
_

_She laced her hands in front of her and watched him throw a tantrum right in the middle of her office. It takes a great amount of charm to be the kind of child who could throw a tantrum and still look cute while doing it. Rin just exuded star quality no matter what he did._

_“You **have**  to bring Haru!,” he insisted, pouting and leaning forward.  
_

_“To Hawaii?” She smiled amusedly at him. “He doesn’t have a passport.”  
_

_He crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Well, then he has to get one,” he said as if that was the answer to all their problems._

_“The shooting for the Annual Hawaii Junior Documentary is in a week. The people on the list are going to ride an airplane together this weekend. Haruka-kun can’t get it until then.” That was that. They had a schedule to follow and Haruka not having a passport was a problem. Of course, Haruka **wasn’t**  on the list in the first place, so this wasn’t a problem for Amakata. It was just Rin’s.  
_

_Rin narrowed his eyes before plopping down on the chair in front of the table. “So,” he started, sounding serious and adult-like despite the squeaky childish voice. “What can I do to make you use your private jet?”_

_Amakata’s eyes widened, tips of her lips quirking up in amusement. “You want to use my private jet to go to Hawaii?”_

_Nodding, Rin added, “With Haru.”_

_“With Haru,” she repeated, almost dumbfounded by the sheer gall of this kid to ask for this. It was amazing, this large self-confidence and ego. It was necessary to become a famous idol. “You want to buy more time for Haruka-kun.”  
_

_“Yeah,” he confirmed, shrugging. “He should be in the list.”  
_

_“Because he’s your friend?”  
_

_He actually frowned at that, eyebrows furrowing as if he was insulted by what she said. “No,” he said slowly. “Because he **should** be in the list.” He tapped on his chin, looking thoughtful. “He’s better at me in singing and he’s getting better at dancing and he doesn’t smile often enough but when he does, it’s  **the** most beautiful thing.” The little speech was followed by a small dreamy sigh._

_Other people, if they heard that, would think “Aw, he’s so cute” or “Rin-kun has a crush!”._

_And sure, she did think of that. But the number one thought in her mind was really just: “I can sell this.”_

_(Watching the initial cut of the documentary, with Rin jumping on Haruka’s back as they ran towards the beach, Amakata clapped her hand slowly and uttered triumphantly, “ **So much money** …”)_


	126. new in town and befriends grandma au [harurin]

_The house Rin inherited from his grandma was a small one-story bungalow with a well-maintained vegetable garden in the backyard. It was clean and simple, with barely any furnitures inside. It had one bedroom, a fully-stocked kitchen and a small porch out front. The place was beautiful._

_He thinks it’s perfect for his new life._

_With the beach and the Swim Club he’ll work in barely a few blocks away, he wouldn’t even need to drive anywhere. Perks of being in a small seaside town, he thinks. Everything he needed was a walk away._

_“Yosh!” He took a deep breath and pumped his fists before taking the last of the boxes from his car. From now on, he’ll live here. This is where everything will start.  
_

_\- - -_

_He was taking a break from opening boxes, drinking tea on the front porch, when he saw the old woman coming. She was about the same age as his grandma, probably 75 or so years old. She had a small cane but was walking steadily forward as if it was part of her. She looked strong, like how his grandma did._

_“Good afternoon,” he started, standing up to greet her. “Is something the matter?”  
_

_The old lady merely laughed, the laugh lines on her face becoming more prominent. “Oh dear, I just wanted to welcome you into the neighborhood,” she answered. “You’re Rin, aren’t you? Kyou’s grandson?” Her voice had that reedy quality, but the words were obviously laced with fondness. “She used to talk about you all the time.”_

_Rin smiled sheepishly before bowing politely. “Nice to meet you, I’m Rin Matsuoka.” He wondered who this person was. His grandma didn’t really gossip all that much, has always been the ‘strong, silent type’ in their family. Rin has always assumed she never spoke about family to her peers. “Thank you for taking care of my grandmother.”_

_She laughed again, a nice goodnatured sound. “Nothing like that!” She shook her head, and her expression turned somber. “If anything, Kyou was the one taking care of everyone here. Ah! Where are my manners? I’m Aoi. I live there, beside your house.” She pointed to the bigger house at the side. It looked like a fusion of traditional and western architecture, combining hardwood and concrete unlike his house which was more-or-less straight-up generic modern housing. “Feel free to come by when you need anything.”_

_“Thank you,” he said, nodding gratefully. It was nice to be welcomed. This move really felt like a good thing now.  
_

\- - -

_The next day, as life went for Rin, was a surefire sign to question that thought. It was raining, which meant he couldn’t map out a jogging route just yet in the morning. He wasn’t used to the heater yet so the first burst of water in the bath was ice-cold, starting his day with him annoyed at the world and suddenly too-awake at 6 am with nothing to do._

_And then he went to introduce himself at work._

_The Iwatobi Swim Club was a relatively small place, but it had enough members and decent equipments. There used to be two coaches, one for the morning sessions and one for the afternoon ones, but one of them decided to go to Tokyo for an additional degree in education, so Rin was called in the nick of time._

_Sasabe let him inside the employee’s lounge room and explained, “It’s a small place so you’re the only one here during the mornings. Haruka’s gonna come right before lunch to prepare. I’ll be helping you get used to them so we’re going to teach the children together today, but usually I’m at my office down the back.”_

_He showed Rin around the swim club for a few minutes before they had to change into their suits for the first batch of children for the day._

_The children were… not pleased, putting it lightly. Apparently, this Makoto Tachibana that he was replacing was some kind of wonder teacher child-whisperer. Everyone loved him. Even the parents! One of the children, a young boy named Hayato, even cried and went running back to his brother upon hearing that they had a new teacher._

_It was unfair, really. Tachibana was thrown a goodbye party, one of the parents told him. They already knew there was going to be a new teacher, and yet they still acted like this._

_Rin was not good with this feeling. Having someone treat him like less simply because some great guy came before him was bullshit. He had enough of that in Tokyo. Moving to Iwatobi was supposed to mean a better chance, a new life where he won’t be living under someone’s shadow._

_He kept his patience for most of the mornings, but he wasn’t at his best either. It was hard to fake a smile when you’re feeling like shit._

_Sasabe was kind enough not to point out his flaws for the day. He just patted Rin on the back and told him to rest at the lounge room for a bit._

_“Stupid coach I never even met…” Rin was muttering angrily under his breath when he opened the door. “Tachibana doesn’t even sound like a good name… He’s probably secretly evil…”  
_

_And that was how Haruka first saw him. Standing up with narrowed eyes, he walked to Rin and nodded his head in greeting. “You must be Matsuoka,” he said, and his voice already sounded full of disdain._

_Well, tough luck. Rin was annoyed too. “You must be Haruka,” he shot back, not even making an effort to hide his grimace._

_“Nanase,” he said. “Haruka Nanase.” A beat, and then he offered a hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he added, in a tone more like he was saying “It’s a displeasure to meet you.”  
_

_Rin’s eyebrows furrowed in irritation and confusion. He haven’t even done anything, and already he’d made an enemy out of his only coworker. Still, he really was not in any mood to be judged by anyone today. “Mine, too,” he said, and shook Haruka’s hand. “It will be nice working with you, Nanase.”_

_\- - -_

_Turns out, Haruka was also some kind of child-whisperer. The children loves him and they don’t even care if he did not speak much. Of course, he’s been working here for a while now, so maybe the children just grew to like him or something._

_The point is, he was good. His advice were sound, and he was able to talk properly with the children. He smiled at them with this exceptionally beautiful smile that was obviously reserved for them. And when he swam…_

_Well. Rin walked the hell out of the pool area immediately after seeing him swim._

_He felt bad enough about the morning session. He did not need to see some stranger from a seaside town swim like it was as easy as breathing. Seeing adults swim was not a thing he signed up for._

_\- - -_

_“Bad day?”  
_

_Rin looked up from where he was tilling the soil of his garden to the side where Grandma Aoi was leaning on the fence between their houses. “Ah, good afternoon,” he greeted. And then, registering the question a second later, he added, “Pretty bad, yeah.” There was just something about grandmas that made him want to say the truth. Lying to someone who seemed so similar to his own grandma felt like betrayal to her as well. Kyou was the scariest person Rin has ever met, even more than his own mother._

_“Is that so?” Her voice took on that understanding tone older people always used. “I have some rice crackers here. Maybe you want to vent out some of that to me?” Leaning forward, she added in a faux-whisper, “Bring some tea leaves, too, will you? I’m out and it’s too long a walk for someone like me to buy one.”  
_

_He really had to hand it to her. If she only offered a listening ear and some rice crackers, he would have felt embarrassed to agree, but with the thought of giving something, it didn’t feel as bad an imposition. “I still have the box of green tea my grandma liked.”_

_Her face lit up with a smile. “Oh! That is wonderful! Kyou had good taste. Come on, now. Bring that tea to me.” She waved her hand, motioning for him to move fast._

_He laughed at that, feeling lighter now. No matter how bad work felt, at least he knew one person who welcomed him here with open arms._

_\- - -_

_He felt like a kid again, sitting there on Aoi’s front porch and talking about his bad day. He knew he sounded immature and more like a whiny teenager than a full grown man, but it was nice to have someone just listen to him ramble. He talked about the stupid weather, how he was promised that the sky was almost always free of rain this time of the year. He talked about the children he was coached, how some cried and how some kept questioning about the old coach._

_“You need to be patient,” she said then, smiling serenely. “It’s a small town. Losing Makoto-kun was a big loss to the children. He was… well, ever since he was a child, he’s always been good at taking care of younger children. He grew up here, so the people’s loyalty is with him. That’s what it’s like in the countryside, you know?”  
_

_He scrunched up his nose. He understood that, really, he did. As a stranger in a small town, he was the one who should be more patient and blend in and get to know everyone. It was… It was the comparison that threw him off. It was a sensitive topic, and he’s only been here for a grand total of almost three days. He never imagined he’d be compared to anyone so early in his stay._

_“Give it time,” she said and patted his arm lightly. “How about your co-worker? How was he?”  
_

_“Annoying,” Rin bit out, remembering the glare Haruka sent him.  
_

_“He can be really annoying, that child,” she agreed knowingly.  
_

_He chuckled at her reaction, wondering if being in a small town really meant knowing everyone. “I didn’t even do anything but he glared at me the moment he met me. I’m dreading seeing him tomorrow.”_

_“That is awful,” she sympathised. Then, after a few moments of silence, she said, “But are you sure he wasn’t also having a bad day? Maybe you both had bad first impressions?”  
_

_“Meh.” He shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. I’ll find out tomorrow.”  
_

_She smiled and nodded to herself. “You do that.”_

_\- - -_

_The children were much better the next day, probably getting used to the reality of Rin being here and their beloved Coach Makoto being away. Hayato didn’t cry, but he still did not let go of the side of the pool. Rin was not sure how to handle him just yet, so he’s going to give it some time. He would read their files later._

_Haruka arrived just as Rin was about to go get some lunch._

_“Oh, hi,” Rin greeted, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room with Haruka blocking the way out. “I was just about to-”  
_

_“You need to talk to Makoto about the children,” Haruka replied without much preamble. “Hayato used to be able to swim backstroke already.”  
_

_Rin winced, but really, the miscommunication and lack of information wasn’t his fault. He should have been given the files before he came here. It was a quick transfer. He’s only been here for two days. No need to be an asshole about it._

_“I’ll read the files later. I’m getting it from Sasabe-san as soon as I’m off.”  
_

_Haruka sighed as if that was the wrong answer. “Makoto knows them better,” he said with a touch of exasperation._

_He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “For one, I don’t have his number and I don’t even **know** the guy. Why would I bother someone who’s trying his hardest in Tokyo? And also, this is what those files are for. Unless he’s some lazy guy, I’m sure he has enough observations there to help me.”_

_Haruka glared at him but didn’t say anything. If Rin didn’t know better, he looked like he was sulking._

_Rin walked away, feeling more annoyed than he was yesterday._

_\- - -_

_“You can’t throw your anger at your garden, Rin.”  
_

_Unconsciously, a small smile appeared on his face as he looked up. “Yeah,” he agreed easily. The plants didn’t do anything wrong. Well, the weeds were bad so at least that’s one productive outlet of anger. “Should probably stop now before I accidentally kill the tomatoes.”_

_Aoi laughed. “Come over here and give me more of that tea,” she said._

_\- - -_

_“He’s such a big jerk,” Rin complained, chewing angrily and crunching the rice crackers as if they were Haruka’s pretty head. “Why would he be so angry at me?”  
_

_“Perhaps he doesn’t have anyone to be angry at anymore,” she replied cryptically.  
_

_He narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you doing that thing where you’re giving me life advice but vaguely? Like in the movies?”_

_She laughed again, clearly amused. “None of that, dear.” She sipped her tea before adding, “But if I were, I’d clearly say ‘try and see things from his perspective’.”_

_Rolling his eyes, he sighed. “Yeah, well. He should look at things from my perspective too.”_

_“True,” she agreed, nodding. “But if no one bows down, nothing will ever be resolved. You could bow down, or let this fester and make you angry everyday until your tomatoes die.”  
_

_He groaned. “Ugh, I don’t want my tomatoes to die.”  
_

_“Kyou might haunt you if they die, actually,” she said with a pleasant voice. “That would be a spectacle.”  
_

_He frowned, giving her a look._

_She just smiled innocently. “Just remember, there are different kinds of pain. You’re experiencing change, but so are everyone else. You left your life in Tokyo, and that’s one kind of pain. But there are people who were left behind as well.”_

_The image of Sousuke, Nitori and Momo flashed through his head. His teammates, his friends, the people closest to him. Gou and his mother too, the women in his life, the only family he had left, the family he willingly left behind to run away from the pain Tokyo made him feel. It was painful just thinking about them. He looked down and clenched his fists, resisting the urge to cry._

_“Child,” she uttered in a soft voice, placing a hand on his arm. “Giving yourself a chance at happiness is not bad. Your grandma always told me how she wanted you to loosen up, to find your own happiness. Whoever you might have hurt, you just need to say sorry and explain to them what you needed. Love works like that.”  
_

_\- - -_

_It took him three days of radio silence to work up the courage to talk to Haruka properly. He was immersed in trying to think up ways on how to handle the children, so he had an excuse at least. Haruka never talked to him again after that Makoto fiasco, too._

_“Hey!”  
_

_Unlike every day until now, when he went directly home to tend to his garden and do chores at home, he stayed behind and helped Sasabe with the paperworks and helping some of the children who stayed in after class. He even chatted with Kisumi, Hayato’s big brother, and learned more about Hayato’s little hero-worship for Makoto. (He understood it this time, feeling awe instead of jealousy towards Makoto. The story of how he helped the shy little boy was an inspiring one.)_

_“Hey, Nanase!”_ _He jogged up to Haruka who was just unchaining his bike from the rack._ _“Do you have any plans today? Tomorrow’s a day off.”_

_Haruka looked at him in obvious suspicion. “I don’t…”_

_“Oh! Then, you should come drink with me.” He tried for his most charming smile. “My treat, since I’m the newbie here.”  
_

_“No, thanks.” Haruka pushed his bike forward.  
_

_Rin quickly stood in front, placing his hands on the handlebar. “Please?” He would bat his eyelashes, if it wasn’t a thought that made him cringe. “I’ll even buy dinner. Anything you want.”_

_“I don’t want to.”  
_

_Eyebrow twitching and patience dwindling down rapidly, he held on and added, “I’ll even call Tachibana like you asked, if you give me his number.”_

_That seemed to have done the trick. “You will?”_

_Rin nodded. He wasn’t sure why this was important, wasn’t even sure if he’ll find out, but well, Aoi said he should listen to other people’s perspective. If anything, he simply wanted to be able to look at Aoi and say he did his best._

_“Okay.”  
_

_\- - -_

_Rin honestly thought it would be awkward as hell, and it did start that way, but the moment Haruka was in seated in front of the small grill in the restaurant, it looked like he relaxed immediately. His shoulders lost their tension and he ordered for the two of them easily. He must frequent this place, if he didn’t even need to look at the menu to order._

_It was easy enough to ask, “Wanna give me Tachibana’s number now?”_

_Haruka’s expression was like that of a little child when he nodded and hurriedly offered his phone. On the screen was Makoto’s number._

_“Do you want me to call him now?”  
_

_Eyes widening, Haruka shook his head. “No, no, just-” He frowned and looked away. “Call him when you want to. He’ll help.” Then with a quieter voice, he added, “You don’t really need it now though…”_

_Ah, sweet taste of acceptance. “I’ve been following his notes closely. He really loves the children, so there are a lot of things there.”_

_Fondness he hasn’t ever seen before showed on Haruka’s face. “He really does,” he said softly. “That’s why he’s studying more.”_

_“Education, right? He’d make a great teacher,” Rin offered earnestly. The notes he left about the children were detailed and filled with his own thoughts. A few days of reading it made Rin unable to even think bad thoughts about this Tachibana. Someone who cared that much, who asked the children about their favorite heroes and food, could not be a bad person.  
_

_Haruka nodded, eyes darting down to his phone on the table._

_Huh. “So, he was your… what?” Was this considered gossiping? Was he even allowed to ask this?_

_“Best friend,” Haruka answered, a small frown on his face. “We grew up together. Almost everyone here did.”  
_

_Rin had other questions, but the waitress came in with their food so he pushed the thoughts aside for now. Haruka’s been open so far, but liquor would probably make him speak more freely. Rin can wait._

_\- - -_

_For some reason, everything Haruka bought were mackerel. From the soup to the grill, everything was related to mackerel. It was tasty but-_

_“Just because you’re in a seaside town doesn’t mean you have to eat fish!”  
_

_Haruka looked at him like he was an idiot. “It’s our town’s specialty.”_

_“Yeah, okay, sure. But how about some meat?” Rin offered.  
_

_“You’re a real Tokyo boy, aren’t you?” Haruka’s voice was almost pitying. “Eat the mackerel.”  
_

_Rin narrowed his eyes. “Is that an insult?”_

_Haruka shrugged, choosing to chew instead of answering._

_“Because I’m proud of being a Tokyo person! You can’t underestimate us who’s been through train rush hours already!”  
_

_There was a small twitch on Haruka’s lips, but he didn’t reply to that, instead continuing to eat his meal._

_“And you’re lucky with your clean air here and your beaches and your hardwood houses, but living in a concrete-filled, busy streets has its perks too!”  
_

_“Hm,” Haruka hummed, now definitely having a small smile on his face. “Is that so.”  
_

_“Don’t ‘is that so’ me! We are survivors of the stifling atmosphere that is Tokyo. You can’t underestimate us!”  
_

_The smile disappeared and was replaced by a small frown. He looked down at his bowl and continued eating._

_Rin sighed and continued eating, and then drank some more sake. “You haven’t called him, have you?”_

_Haruka’s hands stopped moving but he did not look up._

_“Your best friend,” Rin clarified. “You’re worried but you haven’t called, right? Are you hoping to hear about him from me?” It was pretty to figure out after he knew about their friendship. After all, he was also in the same situation. Sousuke, Momo, Nitori, none of them has called to check on him yet. Even Gou merely sent him an e-mail.  
_

_“I-” His grip on the chopsticks tightened, his bowl making a clattering noise as it was put down. “I don’t know.”  
_

_“You do,” Rin said knowingly. “You do but you’re afraid to do anything.”  
_

_This time, Haruka did look up. He had the glare that was familiar by now to Rin._

_“There it is, my asshole colleague.” Rin rolled his eyes and took out his phone. “You know, I feel like calling him now. Ask him advice on how he handled his co-workers.”  
_

_The glare intensified. “You’re drunk,” he said. “You can’t drunk-dial people.”_

_Rin raised an eyebrow. “I’m not drunk.” He looked down and clicked the number from his phonebook. He hit call without a second thought. “Maybe **you’re** the drunk one. You’re speaking more words than I’ve ever heard you say.”_

_Haruka just frowned at him. “I just don’t like you.”_

_“Sshhh…” Rin put an index finger to his lips as a sign to keep quiet. The phone rang once, twice, and then was answered. “Hello? Makoto Tachibana?”  
_

_The voice on the other line sounded confused. “Uh, yes? Who is this?” It was just as Rin imagined his voice would be._

_“This is Rin Matsuoka. I got your job in the Swim Club?”  
_

_Haruka really looked annoyed now, and if this didn’t go as planned, this might be the moment Rin would make a mortal enemy out of him. Hopefully, Rin has some luck today. He really did not want a mortal enemy in his workplace. Competitive swimming taught him enough about mortal enemies already._

_“Oh! Oh… Is there something wrong? Are the kids alright?” He sounded genuinely worried. What a nice guy.  
_

_“No, no, the kids misses you a lot, but they’re coping,” Rin answered. “Rather, there’s one person who’s probably not coping all that well.”  
_

_Haruka stomped on his foot then. If looks could kill, this would be his death._

_“I’m with Nanase right now, actually. I was wondering-”  
_

_“Haru-chan…?” Okay, now Makoto sounded sad and worried, which was an awful sound. Rin felt like he just kicked a puppy. “Is he- He’s angry, isn’t he? I’m sorry for his bad moods. He’ll be better, I promise.”  
_

_“He’s asking if you’re angry,” Rin said out loud, covering the mouthpiece. “Says you’ll be better, he promise.”  
_

_Haruka kicked him on the knee. Which hurt, goddammit. “I’m not angry.”_

_Rin removed his hand and said, “He’s definitely angry” to the other line. “Do you want to speak with him?”_

_The chair made a scraping noise as Haruka quickly stood up from his seat and walked off. Not to be deterred, Rin followed promptly and pulled at his arm. “You can’t leave. It’s common courtesy to wait until I’ve paid, ass.”_

_Haruka shook his arm off but went back to his seat._

_“…hello?” Makoto sounded lost. “Matsuoka-san, are you still-”  
_

_“Yeah, yeah, still here. Sorry. Do you want to speak to Nanase? I can pass the phone over.”_ _One look confirmed that Haruka would probably rather put his hands on the hot grill than hold the phone. He looked really pissed off. Oh man._

_There was a hollow laugh on the other line. “No, no. I don’t think he’d like that. It’s okay. He can be angry at me.”_

_Rin grimaced. “You sure about that?”_

_“I don’t want to force him to talk if he doesn’t want to,” Makoto said quietly. “I’m fine with him not talking.”  
_

_Rin kicked Haruka’s leg. “Hey, jerk, your best friend just said he’s okay with you being angry at him. He said he doesn’t want to force you to talk.”_

_A pained expression passed through his face before he looked down to hide it. “I don’t want to talk.”_

_“Yeah, okay, whatever.” Rin went back to the phone. “He says he doesn’t want to talk but he’s crying,” he relayed.  
_

_“I’m not crying.” Haruka said, annoyed.  
_

_“He’s really emotional right now. Did you hear that?” Rin did his best to challenger Haruka.  
_

_“Matsuoka-san…” Makoto also sounded just as emotional. “This is enough.”  
_

_“Is it, though?” Rin watched as Haruka bit his lip and glared down at the table. “You should realize I’m the one being inconvenienced here, having a temperamental jerkwad as a co-worker.”  
_

_“He’s not a jerk-” The response was immediate. A sigh. “It’s late. I should really sleep now, Matsuoka-san. I have a class tomorrow.”  
_

_“Are you really sure you’re okay with this?” He asked, one last time. “This isn’t easy, believe me, I know.” He looked at Haruka, kicking at his feet to get his attention. “I know exactly how it feels, and it doesn’t get better until you do something. You don’t want to give up something like this.”  
_

_Haruka was looking at him now, a new unreadable expression on his face. Whatever it meant, it felt like he would be willing to try now._

_“You’re obviously important to each other. Even I can see that. Prolonging this would just hurt you both. And you don’t want that, do you?”  
_

_There was a silence for a beat or two. And then, “Would he talk to me?”_

_“Yeah,” Rin answered with certainty. Haruka looked willing now, at least. Rin’s gonna force his phone at him if that was necessary. Man, the grandma nosiness was probably rubbing off on him.  
_

_“I’d like to talk then, if he’d let me.”  
_

_\- - -_

_That weekend, Rin sat down on the backyard, took out his laptop and wrote down a long e-mail for his friends. He wasn’t quite ready to talk yet, not quite ready to hear about Tokyo or their swimming or the life he left behind. But this was a first step. Hopefully, that would be enough for now._

_\- - -_

_The next time Rin saw Haruka, it was already Monday. They were not at work, though. In a rather twisted turn of events, Rin met Haruka while jogging. He’d finally mapped out a route that Sunday, and it was a good one too. He really hoped Haruka’s jogging route was different from his. Long exposure to this guy might bring him early death._

_“Hey,” he greeted casually, hoping they’d separate paths before long.  
_

_Haruka looked bored though, not awkward or angry or anything Rin was afraid of seeing later at work. “Good morning,” he greeted back._

_They jogged in silence for a while there, and when Rin realized they might have the same jogging route, he couldn’t help but ask what has been eating away at his brain since last Friday. “How did it go?” Haruka went outside the restaurant to talk to Makoto. And then after, he had just left the phone on the table, said a quiet ‘thanks’ and walked off. Rin didn’t have time to ask anything._

_“It was okay,” Haruka replied nonchalantly.  
_

_A few moments of silence passed, before- “Just that? You won’t tell me anything?”_

_Haruka looked at him in confusion, blinking slowly. “It’s none of your concerns.”_

_Rin frowned, about to retort that it was in fact his business, because he was affected and he orchestrated that shit. But then he remembered that, yes, it was not really any of his business. As long as Haruka won’t be a jerk anymore, Rin would not need to interfere anymore._

_\- - -_

_“It just feels so… anti-climactic?” Rin bit on the apple that was their snack of the day for their daily hang out time. He did not really know how this happened, but it was actually really cool to be this close to his granny neighbor. He’d love to live this kind of simple life until he was old._

_“Is that really the problem?” Aoi had a penchant for making him doubt his own issues, digging where the real root was and all.  
_

_“Yeah,” Rin insisted. “I helped them so I should have been given, I don’t know, closure?”  
_

_“You can call Makoto-kun, if you’re really that bothered,” she said with that smile that meant she knew he wouldn’t do it. “Or you could just admit that it’s sad to go back to being strangers after spilling your guts to someone.” She picked a sliced apple and bit on it. “Imagine if one day I just acted like you’re some random stranger! Wouldn’t that be horrible?!”  
_

_It did, indeed, sound horrible. And he may, in fact, be feeling lonely about the whole thing. He’s new to the town. He hasn’t made much friends yet other than Aoi. And usually, when you go through something like he did with Haruka, you’d end up close friends or mortal enemies. Seeing as Haruka wasn’t glaring at him anymore, he’d assumed they’d be friends now._

_“That sounds really childish,” he said.  
_

_“You’re a child,” she replied matter-of-factly.  
_

_“I’m almost twenty-five years old, Granny. I’m old.”  
_

_“I’ll always be older, so you’re always going to be a child.”  
_

_Rin rolled his eyes._

_“You should ask him to drink again,” she offered. “Maybe it’s the food and liquor that motivates him to talk.”  
_

_\- - -_

_Because he has no other good ideas, he followed Aoi’s advice._

_Which lead him back to the very same restaurant. On the same day. With the very same food items in front of him._

_“I told you! Why don’t you order meat?!”  
_

_Haruka just sighed, like Rin was a particularly petulant child. “Eat the mackerel, Matsuoka.”_

_“Nanase, I’m going to order some meat whether you like it or not,” he said, raising a hand.  
_

_“No.” Haruka kicked him on the leg.  
_

_“Hey!” Rin kicked back. “Don’t kick me!”_

_He kicked again. “Don’t order meat. The grill will be contaminated.”_

_Kick. “Mackerel doesn’t even taste that good. Meat flavor would help it!”  
_

_“Then don’t eat.” Kick. Kick.  
_

_“Stop kicking me!” He yelled. “And I’m gonna pay for this so I should be-”_

_Haruka narrowed his eyes. “No.”_

_Rin groaned and sat back, begrudgingly taking the mackerel from the grill and placing it on top of his bowl. “You don’t have taste.”_

_“ **You**  don’t.”  
_

_“You- Okay, you know what? I give up.” Rin sighed. “How are you this talkative when eating but you don’t even talk to me at work?”  
_

_Haruka frowned. “There’s nothing to talk about.”_

_“Huh, that’s your reasoning?” Rin kicked his shoe lightly. “That’s cold.”  
_

_Ignoring the comment, Haruka continued eating._

_“Seriously though,” Rin leaned in closer. “You should tell me about what happened with Tachibana.”  
_

_“It’s none of your concern,” Haruka said again, but not unkindly.  
_

_“Oh but it is,” Rin replied. “I’ve been thinking about that, you know? I figured it out. Since you used my phone, I have at least some claim over the proceedings.”  
_

_“That’s not how it works, Matsuoka.”  
_

_“Nanase, please.” He scoffed. “That is clearly how it works.” He paused, then with a forced casual tone, he added, “Besides, we’re friends, aren’t we? You gotta share some of that for my peace of mind.”  
_

_“Hm,” Haruka stared at him for a second, humming thoughtfully to himself. “We made up,” he said. “We talked after that, too. He’s coming back in a few weeks to visit anyway.”  
_

_Rin was kind of stuck on the part where Haruka did not deny them being friends. He felt twelve again, having gained a new friend and wanting to brag about it to the nearest person. “That’s- that’s cool.”_

_There was that twitch of his lips again. “Yeah,” he agreed, voice with a hint of amusement. “Cool.”_

_\- - -_

_After that, it was easier. Rin went back to his original jogging route, usually ending up jogging alongside Haruka. They didn’t really talk unless Rin initiated a conversation, but Haruka was speaking more now. Even at work, they talked about the children or delegated responsibilities. It was nice._

_The Friday night drinking and eating grilled mackerel became a constant thing as well._

_“Like our gossip afternoons?” Aoi asked, munching on a wagashi.  
_

_“Don’t call it gossip afternoons,” Rin protested. “But yeah, basically. Except there we only eat mackerel.”  
_

_“I’m obviously the superior friend,” she offered with a laugh. “I’ve lived long enough to know how important snacks are to life.”  
_

_Rin chuckled. “I hope Nanase learns that someday.”_

_“Oh, he will. Everyone eventually does.” She bit on another, a pensive expression appearing on her face. “You know, you should have dinner with me and my grandson sometimes.”  
_

_He blinked. “Where did that come from?”_

_She put on that innocent old lady expression, that clearly meant she had an idea that will lead to more gossip. “Nothing, dear. I just remembered he hasn’t visited me in a while. How about this Saturday?”_

_Rin shook his head in disbelief. “You’re so weird, granny.”_

_“But you will come eat dinner with us, right? You have got to meet my grandson. He’s the cutest thing.”  
_

_Laughing, Rin nodded. “Alright.”_

_\- - -_

_That Friday, a few of the children stayed behind to practice more. There was going to be a competition soon, so everyone participating wanted to put as much work as they can into their form. That meant Rin had to stay alongside them and coach with Haruka._

_It was going well for a few peaceful minutes, the children doing as told and minding their own businesses. That was, until Asahi, a 5th grader in the afternoon class, said “I bet coach Nanase is faster than your coach.”_

_Takumi, another 5th grader and someone who somehow got attached to Rin, indignantly stood up and shouted, “Definitely not! Coach Rin is faster!”_

_Which lead to shouting and a crying Hayato._

_“Hey! Hey!” Rin, Hayato in his arms, stood in the middle of the groups and said, “There’s no need for this. We’re not competing. Your time is more important than ours.”  
_

_Of course, since the children are stubborn when they’ve got an idea in their heads, Asahi simply crossed his arms and said, “You’re just scared Coach Nanase would beat you.”_

_Rin frowned, holding Hayato tighter for a second before letting out a breath. “Oh, no. I’m sure he’s faster. Have you seen him? Coach Nanase definitely would win.”_

_“Coach Rin!” Takumi and the others looked devastated.  
_

_“It’s the truth,” Rin said, shrugging.  
_

_“That’s just your conjecture,” Rei, a glasses-wearing 4th grader, said from the back. Rin wasn’t even sure how a kid would know the word conjecture. “We need at least one race to support your claim.”  
_

_“Yeah!” Takumi shouted.  
_

_Haruka went in front of him, gently tugging Hayato away. “Let’s just give them what they want,” he said. “It’s less troublesome that way. They won’t stop.”_

_Rin held on to Hayato, eyes widening. “I already said- You need to believe me. You’re faster. I know.” He tried not to panic, tried not to think of times and medals and the sound of a signal gun being fired. “I- I feel sick…” he said, not even needing to fake a faint voice. He really did feel dizzy then._

_Concern flashed on Haruka’s face. He pulled Hayato and let him down at the side with a single pat on the head. “Okay,” he said. He turned to the kids, who were now looking confused and worried. “Coach Rin would just go to the clinic. He feels sick so we should be quiet and not make him feel worse, okay?” After the children nodded, he added, “Who can call Coach Sasabe from the office?”_ _A 6th grader named Nagisa went ahead and ran to the office._

_“Nanase, thanks,” Rin said weakly. He knew this would come back to haunt him again, but for now, he was glad to get away from the situation.  
_

_\- - -_

_Unsurprisingly, Rin did not hear a single question from Haruka about the incident. He was just that type of person. He never bothered with things like that._

_Or at least, that was what Rin thought._

_The truth was, he found out, Haruka just did not ask questions unless he was sure he was going to be answered. He gets worried about people like any others, but he was not the type to persistently ask about it. He’s much more efficient than that._

_Many cups of sake later, with Haruka filling Rin’s cup as soon as it was empty, he asked, “Are you afraid of… of swimming like that?”_

_Rin frowned and slurred, “Who says I’m afraid! I’m not afraid! I’m **terrified**.” He laughed humorlessly. “That’s what it does to you, you know? Competitive swimming. That shit.”_

_“But you swim with the children,” Haruka noted, and his voice was soft now, like he was used to talking to someone with trauma. Maybe he was. Coaches experience different things.  
_

_“That’s different,” Rin said, pointing a finger at Haruka. “That’s not scary! Kids… kids are fun. Kids don’t expect anything from you. But you!” He shook his finger right at his face. “You’re fast and beautiful and you’re not **me**. You swim like it isn’t hard. You swim fast without getting scared of anything. You- you remind me of them sometimes.” He hiccuped. “But you’re nicer, I can vouch that. You’re a prickly jerkwad but you’re nice.” He patted Haruka’s shoulder. “And you don’t talk about my dad!” He shouted, slamming one hand on the table. “You probably don’t even  **know** my dad, do you?! Hah! You don’t!” He laughed again, this empty awful sound.  
_

_“You won’t tell me I’ve never made him proud even until he died, or tell me he won medals after medals and I didn’t, or than my dreams are useless, or, or-” Vaguely, he knew there were tears falling down his face. He sniffed. “Man, it’s hot in here, isn’t it?” He wiped at his cheeks. “I’m sweating so hard.”  
_

_Haruka pushed the napkin dispenser at his side. “Yeah,” he said, still with that soft voice. “We should go home already. You’re sweating too much.” He gathered his things, and then picked Rin’s bag. “I’ll walk you home.”_

_Rin nodded groggily, smiling dazedly. “You’re really nice, you know? Sousuke was nice too. He’s my best friend!” Haruka left money on the table and then put Rin’s arm around his shoulders to pull him up. Rin continued to babble. “But I can’t talk to him, you see. Like how you couldn’t talk to Tachibana? Man, I was nosy then, wasn’t I? I sucked. I suck so much.”_

_“You didn’t,” Haruka answered, tugging him towards the door easily. “You did good.”  
_

_“I did?” Rin asked. “Woaaaah. I’ve never done good. Everyone always tells me to quit being a failure. Isn’t that rude? People are **so** rude sometimes.”  
_

_“Yeah,” Haruka agreed. He took Rin’s wallet from his front pocket, checking inside for his address. “Oh.” He said. “It’s okay, you’re safe here now,” he added after a few seconds of silence. They walked towards Rin’s house like that, with Rin blabbing nonsense and Haruka listening and telling him that he doesn’t have to run away anymore. He had a new home now._

_\- - -_

_Rin woke up with a piercing headache and a distinct feeling that he did something wrong. When he opened his eyes, he saw a wooden ceiling that definitely wasn’t his own. Where was he…?_

_“You’re awake?” The door opened to reveal Aoi holding a tray with a bowl, a glass of water and medicine. “Partied too hard, huh?”  
_

_“What?” Rin blinked in confusion. “Did I collapse on your porch…?” It felt likely. If he has this much of a hungover, he must have been really drunk.  
_

_“No,” she said, laughing as she went inside and placed the tray on the bedside table. “My grandson brought you here.”  
_

_“Grandson…?”  
_

_Aoi nudged a picture frame at the side of the table until it was facing Rin. On it was…_

_“Nanase?”  
_

_She laughed louder now, gleeful evil so obvious in her expression. “This is precious,” she said, wiping tears from the side of her eyes from laughing too hard. “You never read my nameplate, Rin?”_

_“You should have told me!” Rin gasped. “I was calling him a jerkwad to your face!”  
_

_She nodded. “He can be that,” she said. She was still laughing._

_“You never said!” He accused.  
_

_“Well, where’s the fun in that?” She smiled. It was the same type of smile his own grandma would give his dad when she did something devious.  
_

_“Oh god, I should have known. You’re my grandma’s friend. Of course, you’re secretly evil.”  
_

_She just patted him on the arm. “Everyone’s a little bit evil, child.”_

_He pouted, an action he could do precisely because Aoi was the one he was talking to. He was always going to be a child to her anyway, right?_

_“Grandma-” Haruka stopped at the doorway, eyes wide as he stared at Rin’s expression. “You’re awake,” he said, and there was that twitch again.  
_

_“Isn’t he adorable?” Aoi said out loud.  
_

_“He’s old!” Rin and Haruka said at the same time. They blinked at each other.  
_

_“You talked about me?” Rin asked her.  
_

_She nodded, unrepentant. “He never noticed either, my precious grandson. Besides, what else would I talk about other than our gossip afternoons? I don’t have much to do here.”_

_“You didn’t realize?” Haruka raised an eyebrow at Rin. “Nanase Aoi?”  
_

_“She never said her surname!” Rin complained. “Besides, she said she wanted me to join her and her grandson for dinner. She should have said it was you!”  
_

_“Dinner!” Aoi clapped her hands and walked to the door. “I have to go shopping.”  
_

_“Granny-”  
_

_“Grandma-”  
_

_“I can handle it,” she waved a hand at them dismissively. “Sasabe’s going to drive me, so don’t worry.” Just like that, she went off and closed the door behind her._

_\- - -_

_“Did I- did I say something?” Rin didn’t remember much of what happened, but he felt like he should be embarrassed about something.  
_

_Haruka nodded slowly, eyes averted. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have asked you while you were drunk.”_

_Rin’s eyes widened as realization sunk in. “Oh,” he sighed. “It’s fine. It’s better this way. At least you know now and I don’t have to tell you while I can remember.” He smiled bitterly. “Was it completely pathetic?”_

_“No,” Haruka answered. “I’m glad I know now.”  
_

_“That’s what friends are for?” Rin joked, expression softening just a bit.  
_

_“Yeah.” Haruka placed a hand on in’s arm, smiling a bit. “You shared it for my peace of mind.”  
_

_That surprised a laugh out of him. “Just doing my duty,” he said._

_\- - -_

_Everything was really fuzzy that night, but as he watched Haruka’s back as he walked out of the room, he could still hear the words “You’re safe here now” echoing inside his head._

_‘Yeah’, he thought, looking down at the picture of Haruka and his grandma. ‘I am safe here’._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rin x grandma is best brotp ever


	127. starstruck sequel [makorin]

_Rin watched as Makoto’s character, Shin, stopped in front of the door leading to Minami’s bedroom. Shin placed a hand on the wood, fingers lightly tracing the indents as he stared at it as if he wanted to see beyond it, as if he wanted to open the door to see her._

_“I’m right here,” he whispered, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m right here and I won’t leave.” His voice was too quiet, too soft, too pained. Minami couldn’t hear it, just as she couldn’t see how much he loved her.  
_

_The scene fades with a shot of Minami lying on her bed with tears flowing down her cheeks and her phone’s lit up wallpaper (a picture of her, Shin and Kousuke) the only light in the dark room. The post credits play, with Rin’s voice ringing clear as he sings the ending song._

_Rin blinked back tears, hastily wiping at his cheeks before whipping his head to the side to look at Nagisa. The boy was already staring at him, with that soft expression that meant he thought Rin was being particularly cute for some reason._

_Instead of saying anything about that though, Nagisa nudged him on the side and asked, “So?”_

_“Will it be bad if I rally against my own character?,” he asked. And really, he would be lying if he’d say he wasn’t serious. This was such a serious event. Makoto had a chance to find happiness at last, or at least his character had. Well, his character getting together with the girl would probably boost his career more, which would make him happy, right? Rin should totally rally against his own character.  
_

_“I don’t think Mako-chan would like that,” Nagisa said gently, knowing full well that Rin really, REALLY wanted to tweet about how people should vote for Shin in the tv surveys so the writers would go in that direction instead of giving Kousuke (Rin’s character) the main bulk of the romance. “He really likes Kousuke, you know?”  
_

_“Usually I agree with his opinion, you know? But that’s just- that’s his humility speaking. He doesn’t wanna see how obviously perfect he is.”  
_

_Nagisa laughed. “Are we still talking about the drama?”_

_“I- what-” Rin spluttered, shoving Nagisa’s side when he couldn’t find a proper response. Apparently, even going on steady dates with Tachibana Makoto has not stopped his stupid life-ruining crush. (Sousuke would say there was another term for this, and that it wasn’t a crush at all anymore. He’d say the word started with the letter L. Rin would tell him to shut up and go back to the runway or something.)  
_

_“I’m just saying,” Nagisa started, grinning mischievously now that he’s broken Rin’s composure completely. (It’s a thing he does.) “If he knew how much time you spend in front of the Drama Website and how much votes you’ve given his character…”  
_

_Rin narrowed his eyes, clamping a hand on Nagisa’s arm. “You won’t say anything.”_

_“I won’t!” Nagisa immediately raised both hands up, laughing. “I won’t, but you did message all of our friends to vote for him. Vote against you, specifically, is what your text said.”_

_“And?”  
_

_“And…” Nagisa let that linger, obviously watching his expression of any change. He was probably hoping Rin would piece it together himself, but Rin was still drowning from feelings, okay? That episode was just painful. Shin deserves the world. Makoto deserves the world.  
_

_When Rin didn’t react, Nagisa finished with, “I’m sure Haru-chan was in your contacts.”_

_It took an embarrassingly long time for Rin to get what Nagisa was implying. Mostly because his brain screeched to a halt. His friends were assholes, he knew. They were good-natured, nosy assholes he loved and would never exchange for anyone else._

_But._

_There’s a big BUT there._

_Haruka was the one who told Makoto about the scrapbook of feelings. Haruka was the one who ate lunch with Makoto constantly. Haruka was, as far as Rin knew, the closest friend Makoto has in the show business._

_Haruka was much more loyal to Makoto, than he was to Rin._

_Rin knew this because while Haruka took care of Makoto, his main hobby was trolling Rin. It was everyone’s hobby. It was, Nagisa assured, a very fun thing to pass time with, and feels “very fulfilling”._

_Why hasn’t he searched for better friends?_

_“He **wouldn’t** ,” Rin muttered in a horrified tone. He knew Haruka would definitely do it, but if there’s anything dramas gave him, it was the ability to hope for a different plot twist.  
_

_Nagisa gave him that “oh, you” look like he wanted to snuggle to Rin’s side and comfort him but he also wanted to pet Rin’s head and coo at his innocence._

_“He would, wouldn’t he?” Sadly, another thing dramas gave him was the clear understanding that plot twists always worked against the protagonists. In this case, Rin. “Do you think Makoto already knows?”  
_

_Unhelpfully, Nagisa shrugged. “Aren’t you meeting later? You’d know.”_

_He would. He definitely would. Because as much as Rin was a fan of Makoto’s works? Makoto **became** an actor because he was  **inspired**  by Rin. Makoto’s dedication to Rin’s works was the only reason why Rin was able to show his DVD collection without much embarrassment. (It was still pretty embarrassing, especially after when Makoto saw a freaking poster of him in Rin’s room, but it was not as mortifying as initially expected.)_

_Makoto was so protective of Rin’s characters, in fact, that when one actor implied something about Rin using his “connections forged from childhood” to get the main role in his latest Drama SP, he had made an alarmingly large number of tweets regarding Rin’s portrayal and how much layer Rin brought into a role that could have been a doormat character in the hands of other less experienced actors. The “less experienced actors” tweet was retweeted thousands of times, and screencaps of it was pasted all over tumblr. Nagisa was so proud._

_(But then Makoto refused to talk to Rin for a week after that, and when they met, he was blushing to his **ears**  and apologizing for the outburst as if it was a sin and not a freaking one-way ticket to Rin’s heart. Makoto was so endearing, jesus, someone needs to stop him.)_

_Rin couldn’t even imagine what his reaction would be if Haruka actually told him about voting against his own character. Maybe he’d make that face of betrayal he once showed when Nagisa said he hasn’t seen Rin’s debut movie as a child. Or maybe that expression of disappointment he showed when Amakata announced that Rin and Makoto won’t be filming together much because Rin’s character would move away at the start of the drama._

_“What should I do?,” Rin was moaning in distress. It was pathetic.  
_

_But that’s okay, because Nagisa knew how pathetic he was for Makoto._

_Nagisa just grinned at him and patted him on the back. “You should know this by now. The way to Mako-chan’s heart is to be your cheesy self.”_

_Rin scrunched up his nose and groaned._

_Worst. Friend. Ever._

_Meeting with Makoto hasn’t been awkward for a while now. For the first few weeks of them being in the same drama, it was still hard to connect the thought of him actually sitting in front of Makoto in a date, but as weeks went by, it started becoming easier and easier. Because Rin knew Makoto from the interviews he did, knew about his kindness and his easy smiles and his self-deprecating moments. But he didn’t know about the Makoto who gave his little sister a car even before buying one for his own, the one who gathered confidence to ask Haruka for an autograph so he could give one to his little brother, the one who stopped at the side of the road to pet cats._

_Makoto was human and Rin’s crush was just strengthened by getting to know him._

_Knowing him more made accepting his feelings easy. Everything became relatively easy._

_But now he was awkward as all hell._

_“Rin?” Makoto was smiling. That was good. Maybe Haruka didn’t tell him.  
_

_Except no, it was Haruka so he definitely told. Unless they haven’t seen each other. That could be the case._

_“I’m sorry I’m late. Haru-chan needed a ride to the station, so I had to detour.”  
_

_Burst that bubble pretty quickly, huh._

_“Are you alright?” Now Makoto just looked worried and like he wanted to press a hand on Rin’s forehead to check his temperature. He’s so sweet. Rin does not deserve this.  
_

_“I have been rallying against Kousuke from the start of the show, I’m so sorry.” He couldn’t help the outburst. He needed to get that out.  
_

_Makoto blinked, eyebrow furrowing, before he let out a chuckle. “Yeah?”_

_Rin was so confused by that reaction. “Yeah… Aren’t you-” This was not what he expected._

_“Me too,” he replied, taking the menu from the side and opening it to cover his face. Rin knew there was an amused smile on that handsome face. He could imagine it perfectly. “I told Haru-chan to help me vote for Kousuke.”  
_

_“What?”  
_

_“So he told me that he didn’t want to, and that for once, you and him were on the same side of the argument.” He was laughing, shoulders shaking. “Haru-chan said he doesn’t want Kousuke to win, but I think it’s just because of your rivalry.”  
_

_Rin shook his head. “It’s because Kousuke is an asshole.”_

_“He’s **not**!” Oh. There’s the betrayed expression Rin was looking for. Makoto placed the menu down and pursed his lips in a way that made Rin think of stern hot librarians. That wasn’t an image he should be having right now. But seriously, Makoto in his glasses and his brown cardigan. Just.  
_

_Makoto was leaning forward in a an offensive stance. It wasn’t the time to think about his fantasies._

_Focus, Rin._

_“Kousuke needs Minami but he thinks he doesn’t have the capability to make her happy when he’s so far away from her. It’s all in his eyes! In **your** eyes.” Makoto looked like he was trying hard not to pout. God, he was so adorable. “You know that. You’re just being stubborn.”  
_

_“Well, Shin is right there suffering with her and he deserves points for staying even when he’s being hurt every single time. And he doesn’t even think badly of Kousuke, doesn’t try to backstab his best friend even though he has every reason to.” Rin WAS stubborn. Makoto was right. He can’t back off from an argument. “It’s not only in his, your, eyes, but also in the way he angles his body, the way his hands shake like he wants to hold her. Makoto, that last scene-” He wanted to cry just thinking about how Makoto looked, staring at the door with his hands shaking on the surface of it. “It was beautiful, okay?”  
_

_Something in Makoto’s expression softened, shoulders losing tension and the crease in his eyebrows disappearing. “You cried?”_

_“I- What-!”  
_

_Makoto laughed, shaking his head and reaching forward to squeeze Rin’s hand on the table for a second. “You don’t understand how happy this makes me, do you?”_

_Rin was lost. Where did that come from?_

_Seeing his blank expression, Makoto surged on. “When you- When you say things like that, or when Nagisa tells me you cried in a scene I’m in, it’s the highest compliment I could ever get. You’re the one I want to impress the most.”_

_“Because I inspired you to be an actor?”  
_

_Smile turning a bit playful, Makoto shrugged. “That, and more.” The ‘more’ hung in the air like a confession. He picked up the menu again as if he didn’t notice how red Rin’s face was._

_After a moment of silence, he added, “I’m still voting for Kousuke, though.”_

_Rin couldn’t say anything to that. He won’t stop voting for Shin either, anyway._

 

_+++_

 

 **Tachibana Makoto** @tachibanana

_For everyone who asked, I’d like to say I’m completely biased and want you all to vote for Shin but Kousuke is so charming, isn’t he?_

**Hot Cop WeeWoo** @takeshipapa

_@tachibanana Did you actually vote for Rin’s character? Seriously?_

**Tachibana Makoto** @tachibanana

_@takeshipapa I should say no comment, shouldn’t I?_

**Hot Cop WeeWoo** @takeshipapa

_@tachibanana And all of us would just tell you that “no comment” is as much yes as you can say_

**Tachibana Makoto** @tachibanana

_I’m not saying you shouldn’t vote for Shin. I’ve worked hard for his character and I feel his need for love deeply._

**Tachibana Makoto**   @tachibanana

_I’m just saying, I’m not gonna be angry if you choose to vote Kousuke instead. Please vote according to your heart’s desire._

**Hazuki Nagisa** @nagisadayo

_@tachibanana And your heart’s desire is Rin-chan?_

**Nanase Haruka** @haruqua 

_@nagisadayo nagisa._

**Hazuki Nagisa** @nagisadayo

_@haruqua shutting up now, okaaaaay_

**Hot Cop WeeWoo** @takeshipapa

_If this is fanservice, it’s either really kind or just cruel to my heart. Don’t play with a maiden’s heart._

**ShinKou Too Strong** @bleedingshin 

_@takeshipapa on one hand, I’m really happy they’re giving us all these ideas. But then._

**Hot Cop Wee Woo** @takeshipapa

_@bleedingshin Yea, I’ve been burned too much from other fandoms already. It’s made me cynical._

**Matsuoka Gou** @gmatsuoka 

_Unbiased party here. Please vote for Shin. I am begging you._

**Yazaki Aki** @fallyazaki

_Do you ever feel like the third wheel in your own drama? Because I really like seeing Shin and Kousuke talk._

**ShinKou Too Strong** @bleedingshin 

_@fallyazaki not sure if fanservice or_

**Yazaki Aki** @fallyazaki

_@bleedingshin I won’t lie like that to you guys. There’s no need for fanservice when you see real chemistry on your screen, right?_

**ShinKou Too Strong** @bleedingshin 

_@fallyazaki not sure what to feel now that I know you’re one of us :p Welcome to the crazy world of ShinKou?_

**Yazaki Aki** @fallyazaki

_I don’t wanna brag but I’m probably ShinKou’s first fan :3_

**ShinKou Too Strong** @bleedingshin 

_Who’s gonna ask Zaki-chan on MakoRin bts? Are we ready for the answer?_

**Yamazaki Sousuke** @ymzksou

_Really feeling the tension in the cast of Too Far From Home. They should probably find another guy._

**Sou’s S(ass)** @soumanybutts

_@ymzksou Want to try your hand at acting in a drama for once? You’d look really good with Zaki-chan!!!_

**Yamazaki Sousuke** @ymzksou 

_@soumanybutts nice username_

**Sou’s S(ass)** @soumanybutts

_oHMYGOD_

**Matsuoka Gou** @gmatsuoka

_@ymzksou nice deflection_

**Hot Cop WeeWoo** @takeshipapa

_I hope @tachibanana doesn’t become as enigmatic as the Rin Squad. They’re all such tease! Just tell us who’s dating who already!!!_

**Tachibana Makoto** @tachibanana 

_Rin Squad????????_

**Hazuki Nagisa** @nagisadayo

_@tachibanana you’re a part of Rin Squad, Mako-chan! Your ID and certificate of badassery is still being processed._

**Matsuoka Rin** @rmatsuoka

_@nagisadayo what_

**Hazuki Nagisa** @nagisadayo

_@rmatsuoka we all call us Rin Squad behind your back. @haruqua the gig is up._

**Nanase Haruka** @haruqua

_@nagisadayo we can always call us S(aba)quad_

**Matsuoka Rin** @rmatsuoka

_@haruqua ohmygod no. Why are you even in twitter._

**Matsuoka Gou** @gmatsuoka 

_Why does no one ask me if I want to join the Too Far From Home cast? :(_

**Hazuki Nagisa** @nagisadayo

_@gmatsuoka you look too much like Kousuke. We’ll all expect a hidden Secret Twin story._

**Matsuoka Rin** @rmatsuoka

_@nagisadayo @gmatsuoka now that would be interesting_

**Hazuki Nagisa** @nagisadayo

_@rmatsuoka @gmatsuoka careful, rinrin. Your inner cliche-lover is showing. Next, you’ll say you want to run after a bus while Minami is on it._

**Tachibana Makoto** @tachibanana

_@nagisadayo he’s sulking because he just said he wanted to run after a bus before you replied :3 He threw his phone down_

**Tachibana Makoto** @tachibanana

_@nagisadayo He said you have to pay for it :D_

**Hot Cop WeeWoo** @takeshipapa

_They’re together!!!!!!!!1!!1! THIS IS NOT A DRILL_

**ShinKou Too Strong** @bleedingshin

_ARE THEY FILMING A SCENE TOGETHER OR_

**Sou’s S(ass)** @soumanybutts

_GIVE US SHINKOU OR GIVE US DEATH_


	128. cunning grandmas [harurin]

_Rin first saw Nanase Aoi in the dairy aisle of the local supermarket. She had a basket brimming with groceries beside her, up to the point that when she lifted it up a little, a small box of cheese fell down on the floor._

_“Ah!” He, being physically unable to resist helping old women, rushed forward from where he was a few meters away. “Here,” he said, picking it up and offering it to her with a level tone while trying not to show that he just jumped in and left his own basket at the side. “Do you need help holding your basket?”  
_

_She placed the basket down again, taking the cheese with a considering expression. “Are you Kyou’s grandson?” She scanned his face as he stared at her._

_“Um, yes?” He nodded and used his most polite tone.  
_

_“Oh, Rin! I’m Aoi!” She smiled widely, like he was a long lost grandson or something. It was pretty suspicious, but Rin didn’t really read too much into it at the time. (A rookie mistake, he realized months later.) “Your grandma talked about you **a lot**  of times in our weekly mahjong games.”  
_

_He blinked, unsure what to feel about that. His grandma was… his grandma was scary and blunt and didn’t really talk much. He wasn’t sure what his grandma told them._

_“She said you were a swimmer!” She nodded to herself, picking up the basket again before handing it over. “Here, then, make use of those muscles.”  
_

_And… that was how he became Nanase Aoi’s personal shopping buddy. (Or errand boy, really.)_

\- - -

_Kyou was very proud of him. She called to tell his mother that she raised her son well, which made his mom blush and say thank you multiple times. It was funny for a moment until Kyou asked to talk to Rin._

_And then it wasn’t that funny anymore, because Kyou was still the scariest person Rin has ever known, and if she wanted to talk and be nice? It probably meant there was evil afoot._

_“I really appreciate you helping Aoi out like that,” Kyou said, a smile in her voice. It was weird. “She insists on shopping on her own when her grandson is away. It’s a family trait, really.” She sighed fondly before continuing. “I would appreciate it if you helped her bring things to the festival next weekend? She’s cooking mackerel stew for the helpers, and the pot must be heavy.”  
_

_Mackerel? Haruka would love that. Rin almost snickered. Haruka was a rival from the Swim Team in Iwatobi High School (and an old friend from elementary), and he was ridiculously obsessed with mackerel. He was also, at the moment, in a training camp in Tokyo. It was a shame he wouldn’t be able to eat this mackerel stew. Haruka would have loved that._

_(It was also a shame that he was in Tokyo, because Rin wanted to ask him out to the festival. As friends. Because friendly rivals do that. Right. A very friendly gesture.)_

_“Rin?” Kyou’s voice had that edge to it now, like she thought he might be gearing up to say no and that was unacceptable.  
_

_As if. Rin cannot say no to **any** old woman, especially his own grandma. He’s pretty sure he was trained from his own fear when he was young. (The fishermen used to tell stories about Kyou wrestling an actual shark, and winning. Rin used to believe it with his whole heart. He still partly believed it until now, if he was honest.)_

_“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I’m not busy then so I can help. Can you send her address to me?”  
_

_Kyou laughed, both amused and mocking. She had a knack for that. She made everyone feel like a kid when talking to her. “I’m sure you know Haruka’s address.”_

_“…What does Haruka have anything to do with-” Oh. Ohhh. Haruka’s grandma????? That’s- woah, that is a treasure trove of stories. He’s in. He is so in. “Okay!” He cleared his throat, trying to sound calm. “Yeah, sure, okay. When do I need to go there?”  
_

_\- - -_

_As it turned out, he didn’t need Kyou’s instructions, because he saw Aoi again in the supermarket a few days later._

_“Oh! Rin!” Her smile was wide and bright. But Rin knew better now. This was his grandma’s friend. She must have some secret to that smile. “Shopping again?”  
_

_He couldn’t help but smile. “Buying snacks for my sister. She’s got an exam coming up, and well.” He shrugged helplessly, a fond smile on his lips. He and Gou has been patching up things since he came back from Australia. He was cold to her before and never contacted her much, so he wanted to spoil her now that he’s got a chance. (He liked spoiling her a lot, and it came naturally to him. It’s some kind of inborn skill.)_

_Her smile brightened even more, making her eyes sparkle. She has the same blue eyes as Haruka, and seeing it light up like that made Rin imagine Haruka lighting up like that too. It was a pretty image, and he really needed to stop thinking about it. “You are such a nice young man,” she cooed. “Can you help me today, as well? I’m buying mackerel for the stew I’m making.”_

_“Haruka ate all your mackerel supply already?,” he asked, smirking.  
_

_She laughed. “Oh, yes, that boy. He doesn’t eat anything else. This is why he doesn’t have muscles like yours, see.” She patted his biceps. “He’s so skinny!”_

_He wanted to say ‘he’s not really all that skinny’ or ‘he’s got some muscles too’, but the thought made him blush and he refused to show even a single interest in Haruka’s muscles in front of Haruka’s grandma. Not that he has any interest. At all. He only knows because of… Well, uh, they were rivals and rivals did that. Check each other’s muscles. For stats, and such. Very important swimming information. You can even ask Gou. She would totally agree with him._

_Her smile turned a bit sly as she passed her basket over to him. “You should come over sometimes. Eat some of our meat supply, you know? I’d love to show you Haruka’s baby pictures.”_

_He looked away and schooled his expression to nonchalance, trying to keep in the excitement at the prospect of seeing baby Haru photos. “Uh, sure.” He nodded a bit, walking ahead towards the seafood section. “Meat’s always nice.”_

_She giggled and followed._

_\- - -_

_After buying the mackerel and having him walk her to his house, Aoi took his number and made him promise to come have dinner sometimes with them. Rin refused to think of it as getting someone’s blessing._

_\- - -_

_“You saw Aoi again, right?” Kyou was making a habit of asking Rin about Aoi, which was fine, but also really suspicious. She didn’t normally call them at home, and always talked to them during their monthly visits instead. It was really weird.  
_

_“Yes, ma’am.”  
_

_“Haruka-kun isn’t home yet, is he?”  
_

_“No, ma’am.” Why was she even asking **him** this?  
_

_“Oh. Make sure to join the festival this year, okay? Give the phone over to Gou, will you?”  
_

_He sighed in relief once he’s passed over the phone. His mom looked at him with a commiserating look and patted him on the back._

_\- - -_

_A day before the festival, he went to the convenience store down the road to see Aoi chatting pleasantly with the cashier. He went over to simply wave and greet her, but was pulled to her side to join the conversation._

_“Do you know Rin?,” she asked the cashier. “He’s a swimmer! Look at those arms!”  
_

_The cashier let out an awkward laugh, very subtly checking Rin out. (Not subtle enough, but the effort was there. So A for effort. Rin blushed crimson anyway.) “Matsuoka-san’s son, right?,” she asked, smiling shyly._

_He nodded politely._

_Aoi narrowed her eyes at the cashier and shook her head. “This one’s what I was talking about. He’s gonna help me haul my things to the festival.”_

_“Oh!” The cashier looked surprised for a second, before the shyness and the meekness somehow dissipated into thin air. “You’re that!” She laughed. “Really nice, huh? How do you know Haruka-kun?”_

_Rin was pretty sure he was missing a chunk of the conversation, but his pride refused to let him ask, so instead he said, “Rival swim teams. We’re… well, uh, rivals. We both hold the record for fastest in 100m freestyle races.”_

_“Both?” She looked confused.  
_

_“Oh, we had the same time the last time we swam.” He shrugged casually, even though admitting it to anyone was embarrassing. He knew it was the kind of thing that sounded amazing and fate-related, even though it happened normally all around the world. It was not special. At all. Or romantic. It wasn’t. He looked away and tried not to blush._

_“Ohhh…” She looked like she understood something that Rin couldn’t even see. “That’s great. Very exciting.”  
_

_He laughed, but didn’t say anything else. He refused to lengthen this conversation. “So, I’ll just buy some stuff,” he gestured to the freezers. “See you tomorrow, Aoi-san.”_

_She smiled that bright smile of hers and waved him goodbye. When he came back to pay, she was already gone. (The cashier told him “good luck, tomorrow” for some reason. He just said thanks, because what else would he say to that?)_

_\- - -_

_The moment he arrived in the Nanase household, Rin knew something was fishy. (And it wasn’t the mackerel.)_

_Aoi’s outdoor shoes, the one she always wore, was not in the rack beside the entrance. Instead, there were dark blue running shoes haphazardly placed on the floor. Oh, no._

_“Wait-” Haruka’s head poked out of the living room, eyes widening minutely as he stared at Rin. “Did you just open the door?”  
_

_“I- ah-” Rin looked down at the shoes and said, “Aoi-san said she’ll leave the door open so I can just come in.” Shit. Of course. She didn’t need to leave it open if she was still inside. He was conned.  
_

_“Why are you here, Rin?” Haruka was much closer now. He stopped a meter away. He wasn’t wearing socks, and when Rin looked up, he was actually- he was wearing a yukata. WHY? Why would they do this to Rin?! He has been so kind. He was a polite young man, wasn’t he? Aoi said he was nice! This was- This was-_ _“Rin…?”_

_“I wanted to ask you out. To the festival, I mean. As rivals- I mean, friends. Uh. Or- I mean…” Friends don’t ask friendly rivals to festivals, do they? Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh. He was so screwed. Rin should probably just say the truth about the mackerel stew and being Aoi’s errand boy and-  
_

_“Sure,” Haruka said.  
_

_“Actually, I was here since Aoi- Wait, what?”  
_

_Haruka raised an eyebrow at him. “I said sure,” he said, much slowly._

_“No, I heard. But!” Rin gaped at him. “Really? Why?”_

_“Why are you asking me?,” Haruka sighed, sounding already tired of this conversation. “Let’s hurry before they eat all the mackerel stew.”  
_

_It was such a Haruka-thing to say that Rin couldn’t help but let out a surprised laugh. “I’m sure Aoi-san would keep some aside for you.”_

_Haruka tilted his head to the right, considering that. And then, he nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed. He walked forward and toed his shoes in, bumping on Rin’s side because Rin was too confused to move. (He still really couldn’t register anything that was happening.) Once he’s worn both shoes, he turned to Rin, blinked once, then took hold of Rin’s hand. He glanced at it for one second before pulling Rin towards the door._

_“Wait, wait,” Rin stared down at their hands, but refused to pull back. “What are you-”  
_

_“How do you know my grandma?,” Haruka asked, tugging him to the road without answering Rin’s half-formed question.  
_

_“I bumped into her at the supermarket,” he said, mechanically, because he was still staring at their hands and wondering what it meant.  
_

_“Hm,” Haruka hummed and pulled him along. “If she’ll set aside stew for you too, you can give them to me,” he said, as if he was making a very generous offer. Then, he added, “I’ll buy you candy apple, as exchange.”  
_

_He didn’t like sweets, but there was no way in hell he was going to say no to that. “…sure,” he said, squeezing Haruka’s hand once._

_\- - -_

_“I don’t think Rin wore his yukata,” Kyou said, mixing the soup she was cooking for the temple goers. “That child has a weird sense of fashion. What if he looks bad next to your Haru?”  
_

_Aoi laughed, shaking her head. “I doubt your grandson could ever look bad, Kyou.”_

_“You haven’t seen his pants, Aoi! They’re horrendous! What if it made Haruka-kun say no?”_

_“I’m sure they’d be fine,” Aoi laughed, patting her on the back. “Haru won’t say no to your boy. He’s as besotted, that kid.”  
_

_“I really doubt that,” Kyou said as she rolled her eyes. “Rin has been gushing about your grandson since he was 12, you know? Saying he’s fast and he’ll move schools to meet him! At such a young age! Following after his crush like that!”  
_

_Not to be beat, Aoi said, “We have a picture of him in our living room! Alongside the other relay kids, but you know. Haruka used to look at it a lot. And he even asked if he could have a passport when Rin went to Australia!” She laughed. “Oh, those two,” she sighed._

_“They’re hopeless,” Kyou agreed.  
_

_“Thank god they have us,” Aoi said.  
_

_“Thank god.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> grandmas shipping harurin!!! is!!!! the best!!!!!!!!!


	129. sky high au [original relay gen]

_Makoto wasn’t sure when it started, or how, but somehow every time they were lounging in the courtyard, he would notice flowers blooming at Nagisa’s side. It looked natural, slow and unnoticeable in the usual bustle of the campus, but Makoto noticed things like that. (Makoto has always been good with noticing things, having grown up with someone like Haruka.)_

_And as soon as the flowers were at full bloom, Nagisa would pick at them, bunching and tying them together until it had some kind of form: may it be a bracelet or a small queen figure or a flower crown._

_It was… it was some kind of communication, just like how Makoto and Haruka looked at each other and knew exactly what the other thought. Haruka gave what Nagisa needed, and Nagisa made things that made Haruka smile._

_After Nagisa was finished though, he didn’t brandish the product with a wide smile and flailing limbs like usual. Rather, he’d sneak up beside Rin (he was the only one who could do that without being caught) and place the flowers on him; the little figure in Rin’s shirt pocket, the bracelet on his hand, or the flower crown on his head._

_That made Haruka smile more, made the quiet warmth in his expression spread, burn brighter in his eyes. Makoto has seen Haruka happy, but never this much, never with this kind of peace in it, never with this kind of contentment. It looked good on him._

_Rin would pretend to hate it, would threaten to burn the flowers, swat at Nagisa’s hands like it was a chore, but he’d catch sight of Haruka’s expression and he’d look down at Nagisa’s huge pleading eyes, and he’d huff out a “fine”, and his voice wasn’t rough like it was months ago, it was soft and fond and full of the same happiness Makoto felt every time the four of them were together._

_Makoto wasn’t sure when it started, or how, but he was grateful that they have this, that they have each other._


	130. wi fi [soumako]

_Sousuke was not having a good day._

_He was actually having quite the shitty day, what with his groupmates sending their slides for the presentation late and his wi-fi not working. He could go down to the cafe and buy overpriced coffee to use their connection, but he really didn’t have the patience to do that right now. The stubborn side of him just wanted to make this work, because he paid for his wi-fi connection, goddammit. He deserves more than this._

_He picked his laptop up and walked to his small balcony, hoping for some miracle to make his e-mail load faster. He really needed this presentation to work._

_“Come on!” He yelled, kicking the wall in frustration. “Just load the freaking e-mail already, you useless piece of- argh!” Placing the laptop down on the table, he clicked refresh again. And again. And again. “Why did I even pay for the wi-fi if it isn’t gonna work?” He looked up at the sky in annoyance, glaring at the world in general. He was a good person. He did not deserve this.  
_

_His silent cursing of the universe came to a stop when he heard his doorbell buzz. He glanced down at his laptop, sighed at the [loading] sign on the tab, and walked off to his door, hoping for something good._

_In his frustrated mood, he didn’t even think of how he was only wearing a thin white shirt and boxers._

_The door opened to reveal his next-door neighbor, a charming guy his age who also went to his university. “Um,” he started, gaping at the man. If he remembered correctly, this was Tachibana? They talked once, when Sousuke was just moving in. Tachibana was from the countryside, and seemed sweet and gentle. He said “if you need anything, just knock on my door,” when he welcomed Sousuke. It was a really nice thing to say, but Sousuke was never really the type to ask anyone for help, so he never quite got the courage to knock. (Even when he didn’t know where the nearest laundromat is, or when the apartment complex meeting was, or any of those things Tachibana could help him with, Sousuke never got the courage to ask. He was built that way.)_

_He cleared his throat and stood straighter, and then belatedly realized what he was wearing._

_Tachibana seemed to notice though, from the way he was very pointedly staring at a point above Sousuke’s shoulder, and the way his ears were slowly turning red._

_“Uh, yeah,” Sousuke just leaned casually on the doorsill, using confidence to conceal any embarrassment. If he acted as if nudity was nothing to him, this won’t be as awkward. He hoped. “What is it, Tachibana-san?”  
_

_Tachibana laughed, almost hysterically, a quick short laugh as if to hide embarrassment. “Hi,” he said, voice unusually high. “I know this might sound creepy, but to be fair, I have my windows opened and curtains closed, so it wasn’t that I was spying on you or peeking at your balcony or anything like that. I don’t do that! That’s really not okay-”_

_Sousuke raised an eyebrow to stop the influx of words that frankly weren’t making any sense. “Tachibana-san, what is it?” he repeated, slowly and with blatant calmness._

_“Well,” Tachibana sighed and rubbed at his nape. “You were shouting about your wi-fi connection, and I heard it.”  
_

_“Oh.” Sousuke felt his cheeks grow warm in embarrassment. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be-”  
_

_“No, no!” Tachibana shook his head and waved his hands in front of him. “That wasn’t-” He bit his lips and took a deep breath. “I was just wondering if you needed help. We’ve only got each other in here, that’s all.” He pulled out a paper from his pocket and handed it over with a small smile. “Here’s my wi-fi password, my cellphone number and my e-mail.” He bowed down his head, ears still red. “It’s okay to ask for help, you know? I learned that during my first months here. Haru, down the hall, cooks more than enough dinner for all of us sometimes. And there’s Rin at your other side. He’s got great resources for past exams in all kinds of subjects because he’s double majoring in-” He stopped, eyes going wide. “Um, sorry,” he apologized, grimacing. “I just really-”_

_Sousuke shook his head, all of his bad mood dissipating. That was just… That was really sweet. “It sounds great,” he said. “Thank you. I haven’t been able to meet anyone else yet.”_

_Tachibana’s smile softened as he looked at Sousuke’s face again. “We’ll have dinner this Friday at Rin’s place. Everyone is invited. I can introduce you to them.” His eyes crinkled at the side as his smile widened. “Everyone’s been excited to meet the new tenant!”_

_“I’ve just been so…” He waved his hands around in a poor approximation of what his first weeks has been. “It was pretty hectic.”  
_

_“Yeah, I understand.” Tachibana nodded solemnly. “We’ve all experienced that. So we try to help as much as we can.” He reached out to pat Sousuke’s arm. “If you need anything, just knock on my door,” he said, repeating his own words from weeks ago. “You’re not alone here.”  
_

_Those words, more than anything, settled something in Sousuke he didn’t even know was in chaos. He smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Tachibana,” he said._

_Tachibana eyed him for a second before chuckling. “No, just call me Makoto, please. We’re the same age.”_

_Laughing, he agreed. “Then, call me Sousuke, too.”_

_“Sousuke-kun?” Makoto smiled that charming smile again. It can probably turn anyone’s bad mood around just from exposure. It was that kind of smile. “Okay, then. Use my wi-fi password, okay? I’ll keep it on. Text me if there’s any problem.”  
_

_“Thanks, Makoto.”  
_

_Thirty minutes later, after completing the presentation and sending the final copy to his professor, he sat on his couch and stared down at his phone._

_**[** Hey, this is Sousuke. I’m not really used to the neighborhood yet. Do you know any good diners in the area? Something cheap but filling? **]**_

_Just a few seconds later, he got **[** I’ll give you a tour :) Be ready in an hour? **]**_

_He smiled at his phone and replied, **[** Sure. Thanks, Makoto. **]**_

_This day wasn’t that bad, after all._


	131. survey [nagirin]

_Rin was quietly walking down his usual way home when the blonde-haired boy stepped right in front of him with a large smile. It was terrifying._

_“Hello, sir.” The boy (okay, he’s probably close to Rin’s age, but he has that face that makes you think ‘boy’ instead of ‘man’) waved a hand then proceeded to give a sloppy salute, giggling right after like a little kid. Rin did not understand the joke. “Do you have time? I’m conducting a survey.”  
_

_“Um, no.” Rin just really wanted to go home after a long day at work.  
_

_The boy blinked large eyes at him and pouted. Other people would say it’s cute or adorable, but Rin really thought it was a very scary skill, being able to look like that. “Just a few moments, please?” He upped the puppy eyes, jutting out his lower lip. “You’re the last one for today.”_

_Rin made the horrible mistake of looking down and staring into those eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was sucking his soul or broadcasting some telepathic signals, but next thing he knew, he was nodding his head in agreement. What the fuck. Isn’t that illegal? (Not in a ‘those eyes are so beautiful, they’re criminal’ way, but in a ‘hypnotism is bad’ way.)_

_“Yay!” The boy raised both fists up in triumph, and then proceeded to do a victory dance by shimmying around in a circle. Rin wanted to glare some more and scowl, but that was_ actually  _really adorable. Like a little puppy chasing its tail. “So, on to the questions!”_

_The survey itself wasn’t that bad. It was about public transportation and time spent walking to work and things that he could easily answer. No, that wasn’t hard at all. The hard part was trying not to groan and just walk out every time Nagisa (the name of the boy, which he belatedly gave three questions in) laughed that weird happy giggle at his answers (which was rude, by the way) or made some comment about his lifestyle. Nagisa was not only terrifying, he was also gleefully blunt (and possibly evil)._

_“But it’s a **friday**?” Nagisa was pouting again, eyes wide with pity. “You’re going home? There’s a sale at the cake buffet on third street and a film festival at the shopping center. There’s a-”  
_

_Rin glared. “I want to go home and rest.” He sighed and glanced down at the paper in Nagisa’s hand. There wasn’t any blanks left to fill. “We done here?”_

_Nagisa scrunched up his nose and puffed up his cheeks, eyeing Rin with a glint in his eyes. “For my last question,” he said, after a beat. “What’s your number and are you single?”_

_“…What?” Rin stared at him, jaw gaping. “Did you- Are you-”  
_

_Tilting his head to the right, those large eyes staring right at Rin, Nagisa made an affirming hum. “Ah, but it’s not part of the questionnaires my professor gave us for this project,” he cleared up. “This question is just for you!” He pointed a finger gun at Rin and then winked. It was terribly juvenile but also undeniable adorable. “You can refuse to answer,” he added. “I can handle it.” He patted his hand on his chest and smiled._

_Rin furrowed his eyebrows. “You shouldn’t be asking for people’s numbers randomly. What if I’m a serial killer?”_

_Nagisa blinked in confusion. “No serial killer would glare like that, you know? Most of them hide under a personality that makes them likeable to people around them, to hide suspicion.”_

_“That sounds exactly like you,” Rin muttered, making Nagisa laugh out loud.  
_

_“Ah, right.” Nagisa nodded, still laughing. “I could be a serial killer. That’s true.” He picked his wallet from his bag and showed Rin his driver’s license inside. So, he really was close to Rin’s age. “ID check!”  
_

_Somehow, the whole thing made Rin chuckle. He couldn’t help it. Nagisa was ridiculous. He sighed, long suffering, before snatching Nagisa’s pen and his hand. Without waiting for his reaction, he scribbled down his number on Nagisa’s palm. “There,” he said as he dropped his hand. “We done?”_

_Nagisa stared down at his palms with a large grin. “Thank you, Rin-chan! Nice meeting you!”_

_Rin rolled his eyes and nodded, already walking off. “Nice meeting you too, Nagisa.”_

_(A week later, after numerous text messages, they met again at the intersection and went to “experience a proper Friday”. Rin still thought Nagisa was pretty scary, with those large eyes that could make him agree to anything, but he discovered they were beautiful too, when you stare at them. They were, in fact, pretty criminal.)_


	132. personal space

_The problem was, those two didn’t know what personal space meant. Personal space as a concept just didn’t **exist** in their heads. Rin tries to pretend like it does, like he understands where to place his arms or where he should stand in relation to others, but more often than not, he forgets. Nagisa, on the other hand, kind of just ignores any rule in existence._

_Gou knows this, and she sees this everyday._

_Rin likes to put his arm around people’s shoulders, especially with Haruka, because he likes feeling people’s warmth and likes knowing that this is real, that this isn’t a dream. He likes ruffling Nitori’s hair to show appreciation and pride. He likes patting Momo on the back to encourage him, because words don’t come as easy now after everything, but actions has never failed him. Touching people comes naturally to him, and is obviously something he needs. It’s both a means of communication and a reassurance for him._

_Nagisa likes to hug people, just put them in one huge bearhug. He likes to wrap his small self around people and envelop them in warmth, because while he uses words more efficiently, he knows there are things you can only do with your body. He likes to remind people that he’s **here** any time you need him, that he’s always warm and ready for a hug. He likes to feel on his own hands the tension leaving people’s bodies, how Haruka’s tense shoulders relax when he nuzzles on to it. It’s his own gift to the world, his way of giving back and holding on to the people he wants to stay in his life._

_Those two are the most tactile people Gou has ever known._

_So it’s confusing, always so confusing, when they’re together in one room._

_Because they’re all used to the invasion of personal space from the two, but the ease by which Nagisa and Rin invades **each other’s** personal space is on another level. It’s ridiculous to watch, with Nagisa sneaking at his side and Rin shoving back just as much and them ending up plastered at each other’s side, and it not even being slightly awkward. They’ve mastered this whole thing._

_“It’s so weird,” she murmurs to Makoto as she watches Rin give Nagisa a noogie before Nagisa pushes Rin into the pool. They splash around together and then wrestles underwater.  
_

_“Hm?” Makoto blinks at her in confusion. “What? I think it’s nice.”  
_

_“They’re just so…” She wrinkles her nose, then sighs when she’s unable to find the words to explain. “I think it’s nice too,” she says, expression softening. “It’s actually really cute that they’re like that. My brother becomes playful around Nagisa-kun.”  
_

_“They bring out this happiness in each other,” Makoto says, chuckling. “It’s good for both of them, having each other near. Nagisa gets to play more around Rin, I think.”  
_

_Gou laughs. “Because my brother follows through and plays along, right? Did you see him yesterday? With the flowers?”_

_Makoto’s laughter is louder this time. “Rin-chan was wearing a flower crown!” He laughs some more, fond and delighted in equal measures. “Haru said it was cute, and Rin shouted that he only did it because Nagisa was bugging him.”_

_“I saw Nagisa-kun jump on his back to force it on his head,” Gou confides in a whisper. “I don’t think my brother put on much of a fight. He walked around with Nagisa-kun on his back for a while, even.”  
_

_Makoto grins contentedly and looks over to the pool, where Rin and Nagisa were in a tug of war with Haruka in the middle. When did that even happen?_

_Gou shakes her head at their antics but doesn’t move from her seat._

_It may be kind of weird, seeing those two super tactile people move around each other and more often than not clash in the middle, but it’s also a really nice image to see everyday._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, screaming at the top of my lungs: NAGIRIN! FLOWER! CROWNS! ARE! CANON!


	133. samezuka nagisa [nagirin]

_“You don’t even go here!” Rei shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Nagisa who was wearing a too-large Iwatobi uniform and convincing him to join the Swim Club. “You can’t just come in here like that! That’s trespassing!”_

_Nagisa tilted his head to the right, exuding innocence. “I’m wearing the uniform though?” He looked down, pouting. “I’m wearing the uniform properly and all!”_

_“It’s obviously too large for you, mister,” Rei said, inching away.  
_

_“Mou,” Nagisa snickered. “I thought this was gonna work.” He shrugged then, looking back up at Rei without an ounce of regret. “I’m still a member of the Iwatobi Swim Club, though. In spirit. So you should join and complete our roster so we can have our budget.”  
_

_“You don’t get a budget because you don’t **go here**.” Rei was still inching away. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a red-haired girl run up to them with an exasperated expression. “What-”_

_“I’m sorry,” Gou sighed out, brows furrowed as she bowed down low in a surprisingly formal move. “He’s-” She glanced at Nagisa with a frown. “Nagisa-kun, I told you this won’t work!” She offered Rei an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I’m Matsuoka Gou. I’m the manager of the Swim Club. And this is… uh, a very hands-on… um…”  
_

_“I’m from Samezuka,” Nagisa whispered, leaning forward. “But you have to keep it a secret, okay? Sshhh! This is an important secret mission!”  
_

_Rei focused on Gou, ignoring the weird blonde boy. “Can I go back to practice now? I’m already in the Track team.”_

_“Uh.” Gou gave him another apologetic smile before saying, “How about looking at our club for a moment? Please?”  
_

_Nagisa didn’t wait for his answer, instead opting to grab Rei’s arm  to drag him towards the pool. “I’m on a schedule so let’s go before Rin-chan suspects something, okay?”_

_Rei tried to struggle, but he didn’t really have a chance._

_(”Matsuoka, where’s your other half?” Mikoshiba asked as Rin got out of the pool. “Is he skipping practice?”_

_“I don’t have an other half,” Rin answered, annoyed. “But if you’re talking about Nagisa, he’s jogging. Somewhere…” He trailed off, eyes wandering off to the windows.  
_

_“Where did he jog?” Mikoshiba frowned and crossed his arms. “He’s training properly, isn’t he?”  
_

_Rin grimaced and looked away, rubbing his nape. “Uh, you probably don’t want to know. I’m sure he’s practicing properly, though. Don’t worry.”_

_Mikoshiba watched him for a few seconds before nodding. “Fine,” he said. “As long as he’s good, I won’t ask questions.”_

_Rin sighed in relief, secretly hoping Nagisa wasn’t doing anything crazy right now.)_

 

* * *

 

 

_CODA/Explanation:_

 

_“Have you ever seen Matsuoka-senpai without Hazuki-kun?” Takuya asked, eyeing the two at the other side of the pool. “They enrolled at the same time too.” He squinted in suspicion. “Very fishy.”_

_“Stop looking at them,” Minami hissed, punching Takuya’s arm lightly. “Aren’t you scared of Matsuoka-senpai?”  
_

_“I used to be scared of him, but Hazuki-kun seems to be intent on changing my mind.”  
_

_Minami hummed to himself, eyes still stubbornly averted. “Hazuki-kun braided Matsuoka-senpai’s hair yesterday…”_

_Takuya chuckled. “It looked good.”_

_“He got angry, but like…”  
_

_“Not as angry as you’d think?”  
_

_“Right?!”  
_

_\- - -_

_“But **seriously** , has anyone seen Matsuoka-senpai without Hazuki-kun?!”  
_

_“You’re awfully focused on this,” Minami said, raising an eyebrow.  
_

_“He asked you, too?” Mikoshiba laughed, that full from-the-belly sound he makes. “He does have a point though.” He shrugged. “Hazuki’s like Matsuoka’s other half.”_


	134. 'with no space between us' [nagirin]

_It was one of those days when he felt like everything he needed was right by his side. Rin had just finished swimming a practice relay with the Iwatobi Swim Club and Makoto’s new students, and then he had hung out with Sousuke and Gou right after. It was a productive albeit exhausting day._

_And now, he was lying on his bed, finishing the day the best way he could think of._

_“You’re smiling,” Nagisa said, poking him on the cheek. He peered closer, so close that it would be uncomfortable for anyone else but Rin, before grinning widely. “Let me guess? You’re happy because I’m here?” His tone was a perfect combination of giddy and teasing. It was his default setting when it came to talking to Rin._

_“You wish!” Rin pushed at his face to no avail. Nagisa’s arms were holding his arm down tightly like an octopus and their legs were already tangled. Instead of pushing him away, Nagisa’s face remained close, though he changed course to nuzzle Rin’s collarbone instead. “Oiii,” he scolded, squirming.  
Nagisa simply nuzzled closer with a giggle. “Rin-chan’s not honest at all~”_

_Hearing that, Rin just rolled his eyes and stopped resisting. They both knew Nagisa was right, even though Rin had plenty of reasons to be happy today. Arguing about it would be useless. He brought his hand on to Nagisa’s head and played with his hair instead. That was 100% more fun and important than talking. Nagisa’s hair was soft and beautiful, just like the rest of him. They were like tiny fragments of light you can touch, like snapshots of early morning light and the feeling you have when you wake up on the right side of the bed._

_Nagisa propped his head on Rin’s chest, squinting down thoughtfully. “I bet you’re thinking of something cheesy,” he said, smirking._

_“I’m not,” Rin lied, looking away. “I was thinking of how much you eat and why you don’t gain weight at all.” To be fair, he always thought of that around Nagisa. It was one of those thoughts that always stayed at the back of his mind._ _  
_

_“Fast metabolism,” Nagisa intoned in a way that meant he heard it from Rei._

_“And because I exercise properly!” His eyes did that widening thing, the one he used often to convince people he was right._

_Rin would like to say he was immune but he was not. “Sure,” he deadpanned.  
Nagisa pouted but didn’t say anything anymore, proceeding to squirm again until his face was settled on Rin’s neck. His breathing evened._

_“Are you going to sleep on me?”_

_“Mmm,” Nagisa moaned. “You’re comfy.”_

_“You’re heavy.”_

_“But you’re so waaarm, Rin-chan.”_ _  
_

_“Come on,” he said, trying to move aside, only to be stopped by Nagisa tightening his hold. “Nagisa.”_

_“I don’t want to let go,” he said, whiny and loud. It would seem childish to anyone else but Rin knew Nagisa’s moods well enough now. Nagisa was surprisingly one of the most mature out of all of them, and he sounded like this only when he wanted something or when he was hiding his real intention and emotion. There was only one reason why he would say something like that in that tone._

_Rin sighed. He thought he didn’t have to think about this until tomorrow at least, since everyone was kind enough not to mention it the whole day. He didn’t think Nagisa would bring it up. This day was so good because they all had fun and did all their usual activities without anyone saying goodbye. It was a farewell party for everyone moving permanently away from Iwatobi, but without anyone saying those words explicitly._

_“You don’t have to,” he said, combing his hand through Nagisa’s hair comfortingly. “I won’t let go, either. I promised, didn’t I?” He had held Nagisa’s hand earlier and told him not to worry, that him moving did not change anything. This time was different from when they were young. Nagisa was not being left behind._

_Nodding but not loosening his grip, Nagisa whispered, “You won’t stop writing me letters this time, okay? You’ll tell me if you’re sad and if you need me. No secrets!”_

_Despite his uncertainty of the future, he knew he’d try at least. He won’t keep Nagisa hanging. “You too,” he said. “It goes both ways, you know?” It took them a long time to talk about the past, those missing years of sadness they both experienced, but they were older now and they’ve learned from those mistakes. They’ve got each other’s back no matter what._

_Perhaps because of the whole happiness of the day, or the solemnity of this moment, Rin felt fine admitting some more heavy truths he wouldn’t normally be able to say out loud._

_“You don’t have to worry,” he said softly. “Nagisa is already part of me.”_  
\- - -  
It was one of those days when he felt so alone, when he felt like everything he loved was out of his reach. He had just finished practicing with his new team, and then he had went home to a dark and empty apartment. It was a day full of misery and frustration.  


_And now he was lying on his bed, sulking and reminiscing about better days._

_That was, until he heard the tell tale sound of a skype call._

_He hurriedly sat up to take his laptop from the side table and accepted the call._

_“Hi!” Nagisa appeared on the screen with a huge smile on his face. He waved both hands and leaned forward. “You’re frowning,” he said. “Looks bad.”  
_

_“Did you just call to insult my face?”, Rin grouched, frown deepening.  
_

_Not faltering at all, Nagisa tilted his head and stared for a moment. “I called because you needed your weekly dose of Vitamin Me.”_

_Rin groaned, head dropping in second-hand embarrassment over that line. “I can’t believe you just said that.”_

_“Did it make you feel better?”  
_

_“No,” Rin lied, even though he could feel the heavy weight lifting bit by bit. Being in Nagisa’s presence had that effect on everyone. Nagisa was good and kind and would always make you feel better. He injected people with happiness just by existing._

_“Liar~” Nagisa stuck out his tongue. “Rin-chan still isn’t honest at all~”  
_

_Rin couldn’t help but chuckle, remembering Nagisa saying those exact words a few months ago. “So? You want to talk about your latest discovery, don’t you? That’s why you called.”_

_“Hey! Maybe I just called because I missed you!”  
_

_Warmth spread through Rin’s chest at that statement, but outwardly, he just raised an eyebrow disbelievingly at him. Nagisa was exactly the type of person to call just because he missed Rin, but he was also the type who couldn’t wait to talk about the accomplishments he’d made. He’s similar to Rin that way. Makoto used to laugh about the two of them bragging at each other._

_Nagisa sighed and slumped his shoulders, pouting. “Fine! I reaaally wanted to tell you all about it!”_

_And then he went on to narrate the whole event, from how he was asked to be an assistant in the research to how he was able to impress the head of excavation with his various knowledge about the place. Rin would never stop being amused with the fact that out of all of them, Nagisa was the one who went into the academe. For someone who hated studying in high school, he sure became quite an enthusiastic archaeologist._

_He listened for almost half an hour, and by the end of it, his shoulders had lost the tension they had when he first got home. He was comfortable in his bed, and didn’t feel as miserable as before._

_Nagisa’s smile was triumphant when he leaned in close to squint at him again. He definitely knew what he did._

_“Well then,” he said, smiling fondly. “You need to sleep, right? Early day tomorrow.”  
_

_“Yep!” Nagisa nodded. “Just one more thing.” He leaned closer to the camera and did that weird nuzzling thing he did, his hair brushing the camera. Rin could almost feel that sensation. He sat back and grinned.  
_

_Rin couldn’t even stop the growing smile on his face._

_“Oh, and–” His grin softened into that tender look he doesn’t often use so openly. “Rin-chan is part of me, too.”_


	135. things you said after you kissed me [nagirin]

_There was something special about meeting in Tokyo, somehow. Rin was in Australia almost the whole year, and Nagisa was still mainly living in Iwatobi (but traveled around the country), so it was not often they had a chance to visit the city together. Most of their friends lived here now, though. Haruka and Momotarou were training here with their new respective teams, Sousuke was a coach at a nearby high school, Nitori was a journalist for a sports magazine, Gou was studying to be a doctor at a huge hospital and Rei was working in one of those fancy pharmaceuticals. Even Kisumi was doing most of his work here, with his magazine photoshoots and all. Makoto was the only one who went back to Iwatobi, staying there to help in Sasabe’s Swim Club after studying in Tokyo for years._

_Seeing as it has been months since Rin has seen the others, and since Makoto and Nagisa both had errands to do in Tokyo, they agreed to meet up at Rei’s apartment (because he was, by far, the richest one out of all of them, and had the nicest place). They were going to eat a proper dinner together and talk about their lives, drinking beer and hanging out like old times._

_At least, that was the plan._

_“Rin-chaaaan,” Nagisa whined in front of him, slumping on the library table. His tone was incredibly dramatic but he was quiet about it. It was the type of thing Rin wanted to laugh about, the fact that Nagisa learned to be quiet through extreme fear for the librarian at the Iwatobi Municipal Library. Apparently, there were still people who could resist Nagisa’s charm. (The thought was equal parts amusing and dreadful.) “Rin-chan! Listen!”  
_

_“What?”  
_

_Nagisa’s expression turned annoyed. “I’m tired. And I’m hungry. And I wanna go home.” He sounded 12 all over again. Rin wondered if he showed this side to his coworkers, or it was the kind of behavior he reserved for people who knew him way before._

_“You haven’t finished your powerpoint, you just ate literally ten minutes ago- don’t make that face, I have a watch- and you can’t go home without finishing that. Professor Watanabe won’t forgive even you if you postpone this.”  
_

_“You’re stingy,” Nagisa muttered, lying his forehead on the table and murmuring more complaints Rin couldn’t clearly hear but was sure had the words “party pooper” and “nerd”. Rin wasn’t even gonna comment on that, seeing as he wasn’t the one who procrastinated on a report, thus ruining any party plans they had, nor was he the one who was working as an excavation assistant. Nagisa could joke all he wants about Rin being the nerd, but the facts clearly says otherwise.  
_

_“Come on, if you finish that one fast, we can still catch up before they fall asleep.” Rin poked him on the shoulder gently. He didn’t really know how to be encouraging. Nagisa was the one who did that, most of the time.  
_

_“Even if they’re asleep when we arrive, I’ll wake them up,” Nagisa said, sitting up and pulling his laptop back in front of him.  
_

_They probably would let him, because even though there were people immune to his particular brand of charm, their little group of friends were not. They really, **really**  weren’t. (Sousuke had once driven all the way from Tokyo to a certain deep rural area because Nagisa was lost and had misplaced his wallet somewhere; Makoto had, during his first year of college, hidden Nagisa in his dorm room when Nagisa had another streak of rebellion against his parents; Rin won’t even start with Haruka, because he was almost as worse as Rin, and Rin had once flown from Australia because Nagisa was in the hospital.)_

_Silence settled between them as Nagisa focused on the report and Rin focused on Nagisa’s expression._

_This was another side of Nagisa that Rin rarely saw: the serious data-analysing one. Years ago, he had seen Nagisa in a lecture hall and watched him listening to a lesson he actually found interesting. That was different from this, though. Before, he’d still been a bit distracted and he had a frantic air around him, as if he didn’t know how much he could absorb from the lecture._

_Right now, Nagisa’s eyes were sharp and his fingers were quick and confident. He had an ease to him, that level-headedness that could only come from mastery and experience. He suddenly looked his age, for once. It was so different from his usual self that Rin felt a dissonance._

_And even though Rin stared and stared, Nagisa didn’t look up to tease him._

_Researcher-mode Nagisa was a strange creature: strangely still, strangely focused (and, most of all, strangely hot)._

_Clearing his throat and looking away, Rin picked up a book on the side and tried to not stare again._

 

_It was thirty minutes later that Nagisa looked up and smiled that triumphant smile of his. “Done~!” He stretched both hand up, yawning. “I’m tired…” Another small yawn, his eyes tearing up. “Carry me?” He leaned his chin on the table, looking up through his eyelashes. “Please?”_

_Rin narrowed his eyes. “No,” he said decisively, looking anywhere but those eyes. “You’ll walk out of this library on your own feet.”_

_Nagisa nodded solemnly, closing his eyes. “ **Then** you’ll carry me, right?” He sounded so sure._

_“…no.”  
_

_“Hmmm, that sounds like a maybe.”  
_

_“No.”  
_

_“Why are you being stubborn, Rin-chan?”  
_

_“I’m not being-” Rin glared. “You’re not **that** tired.” He came directly from the airport. He also just finished a hard regimen before flying back to Japan. He knew he won the tiredness card the moment they met up here and Nagisa was just napping on the table.  
_

_“My brain hurts though,” Nagisa complained, kicking him under the table. “Don’t you think I’m pitiful?”  
_

_Rin just rolled his eyes, standing up and gathering Nagisa’s things. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll carry your bags.”_

_“Not enough~” Nagisa crossed his arms, pouting. “My energy is all used up.”  
_

_“What do you want me to do?”  
_

_Nagisa hummed, eyeing him with that dangerous twinkle in his eyes. Then, very deliberately, he stood up, leaned close, and pulled the front of his shirt until they were looking eye to eye._ _The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was the smirk on Nagisa’s face as he bridged the last few inches between them._

_It was a tame kiss, all things considered, but the way Nagisa sucked on his bottom lip and bit just a fraction almost made him groan. It has been too long._

_Before he could push back though, before he could shake off the shock, Nagisa was already pulling away._

_“Wha-”  
_

_“There!” Nagisa exclaimed, eyes bright with amusement. “Recharging done!”_

_(Rin didn’t carry Nagisa to the car, but he did ask for a recharge of his own when they were finally inside._

_No one even asked why they were late when they finally showed up, three hours late.)_


	136. wasn't meant to hear [soumako]

_Makoto has been adjusting well enough in Tokyo, despite the bouts of homesickness and the general anxiety of living in a completely different place. He was doing well in his classes and he’s gained a few friends in the dorms and university. His life was good._

_One huge factor for that was Sousuke. He was an unlikely ally, someone Makoto wasn’t even close to until they found each other again in the university. Sousuke, who was used to Tokyo, helped a lot in giving him tips on how to live the City Life he wasn’t used to._

_Of course, Sousuke would say he didn’t do much, that it was all Makoto’s effort, but having someone he knew near was a huge help. Makoto was very thankful._

_He wasn’t sure he could be this comfortable here if not for that support._

_“That’s not even true.”  
_

_Makoto stopped on his steps when he heard Sousuke’s raised voice from inside an empty classroom. He stopped outside and leaned closer to listen._

_“Don’t look so serious, man. We’re just joking around.” That was Rui’s voice. He was Makoto’s groupmate in a report they’ll present a few days from now. It was 40% of their final grade. “Don’t be such a killjoy.”  
_

_“Joking around?” Sousuke scoffed. Makoto peeked a little, scared of being seen but unable to stop his curiosity. Rui’s group sat around on plastic chairs while Sousuke loomed over them standing up. “You told him you couldn’t help because you were visiting your sick grandma.”  
_

_Oh. This was about the report? Rui had been visiting his grandma every weekend, so Makoto was always left with the bigger load to research. It wasn’t really an issue, since family always comes first for Makoto too. He understood the need to be near them, especially since he couldn’t do it himself._

_“Well, he believed it, so.” Rui shrugged, a smug smirk on his lips. “The country bumpkin isn’t suffering, Sou. It’s not like it’s a big deal.”  
_

_What was that? Did Rui just-_

_“Don’t call him that.”  
_

_“Country bumpkin?” Rui laughed. “Come on, Sou. Just because you used to live there doesn’t mean you’re one of them now. You see how clueless he is, don’t you?”  
_

_Sousuke gritted his teeth, glaring the kind of glare Makoto hasn’t ever seen before. “He’s not **clueless** , asshole,” he said, scarily calm. He released a breath. “He’s a good person, unlike you.”_

_Rui frowned and stepped forward. “Everyone does this kind of thing. What’s it to you, anyway?”_

_“He’s my friend,” Sousuke said, not faltering despite their closeness. “And you need to lay off him.”  
_

_“I’ve got dates to go to, Sou,” Rui said, unrepentant. Makoto didn’t know he was like this. Rui looked so nice in class and he even showed Makoto a picture of his grandma. That was all a lie? “Stop babysitting the bumpkin and let us live.”  
_

_Sousuke’s eye twitched, and that was a really bad sign. Makoto knew enough of him by now to know when he could be pushed and when to just leave him alone. This was definitely a ‘leave him alone’ moment._

_“You haven’t been hanging out with us lately, too,” Rui continued. He seemed oblivious to Sousuke’s anger. “You know, we’ve got some parties we wanted to invite you to, but you’re always with that guy. It’s kinda lame, don’t you think? You’re one of the coolest guys we know, dude. You need to go back to the scene.”  
_

_Sousuke took a deep breath and stepped back, visibly distancing himself from Rui. “The only reason I’m even talking to you right now is because you’re using my friend. Makoto is 10 times better company than any of you are.” He looked up, pure anger in his face. “For the last time, I’m telling you, don’t ever try to use Makoto ever again.”_

_Rui actually stepped back in fear, and a few of the others gulped and paled. Sousuke was huge and intimidating. Of course they’d be scared._

_Sousuke nodded, satisfied with their reaction, and then made a move towards the door. Makoto walked off before Sousuke could see him._

_\- - -_

_“Are you sure you’re okay staying in?”_

_Makoto frowned down at Sousuke who was lounging on his bed and eating chips while staring at the laptop on the table. They both needed to watch a historical movie for a paper._

_“Yeah, I need this extra credit,” he answered.  
_

_“But it’s a Friday night.”  
_

_“Yeah, so? I don’t have anything to do tomorrow.” Sousuke finally looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Am I bothering you…?”  
_

_“No!” Makoto couldn’t help but exclaim. Sousuke was always welcome. He always made Makoto felt better, and his company has always been pleasant. Makoto enjoyed these moments. He just didn’t want to keep Sousuke to himself. That was selfish, and that was the exact kind of behavior he didn’t want to have anymore. “I mean- Your other friends…”  
_

_“What other friends?”  
_

_“Just- your city friends- I mean-”  
_

_Sousuke stared at him for a moment before realization settled in. “Oh,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “You heard, didn’t you? Or Rui tattled. I bet he did. He’s an asshole.”_

_Makoto shook his head repeatedly. “No, no.” Rui hasn’t even talked to Makoto yet other than to say that he didn’t have to visit his grandma this weekend after all. “I heard.”_

_“…oh.” Sousuke looked away, color rising to his cheeks. “That was…”  
_

_“Thank you,” he said. “You shouldn’t have bothered, really. But thank you.”  
_

_“Rui was lying,” Sousuke said, sounding petulant. “You’re being too nice.”  
_

_“Did you mean gullible?” Makoto smiled, self-deprecating.  
_

_“No,” Sousuke objected. “This isn’t on you. Don’t ever listen to that guy. He’s the bad guy here.”  
_

_Makoto sighed, nodding. He knew that, at least. Anyone who used their grandma to lie to others were definitely bad. He didn’t need to be a City Boy to know that._

_“Besides, I like spending time with you more, okay?” Sousuke shrugged like that was nothing, like it didn’t fill Makoto’s chest with warmth. “You’re cool.”  
_

_Makoto laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t think anyone’s called me cool.”_

_“Nagisa called you cool. He said you were the best.” Sousuke’s smile made it obvious that he was trying to cheer Makoto up. Bringing up their friends always made Makoto happy.  
_

_“I think that’s about Haru,” he countered, smiling back. “Or about you.”  
_

_Sousuke rolled his eyes and went on to explain exactly how cool Nagisa thought Makoto was._

_They continued talking like that, sitting beside each other and enjoying each other’s company. Makoto wasn’t really sure yet why Sousuke chose to spend time with him rather than his old Tokyo friends, but he was glad anyway. He was glad to have Sousuke here._


	137. baseball au [makorin]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> related to that primer fic i posted years ago

_Rin has dreamed of being in the big leagues since he was 3 years old. He was born_   _for this. He felt it in his bones the moment he pitched in the Hanshin Koushien Stadium. He knew this was the life he wanted forever._

_But playing wasn’t the only thing he had to do. Life wasn’t as easy as that. Professional baseball wasn’t just about pitching strikeout games or batting a homerun. No. There were interviews, commercials, press tours, and too much attention. Being the captain of a young team, of a newly formed team in need of more sponsors to survive, he had to go the extra mile._

_**[Matsuoka Rin: Is he really worth all the hype?]**  was the title of the article written about their loss against the Chunichi Dragons. It wasn’t about the Tottori Pirates losing. It was about how Rin couldn’t live up to people’s expectations, about how his captaincy and pitching skills were subpar compared to the Rookie of the Year Haruka Nanase. It talked about how Rin snatched Haruka, best pitcher of the season, and Sousuke, one of the best batters in the league, and somehow still lost in the quarter-finals. It talked about how Rin disappointed everyone._

_And he knew it was an overblown article. He **knew** that._

_But it didn’t make the words hurt less, didn’t make the rapid growth of guilt and frustration cease from overwhelming him. He was supposed to be media-trained and used to this by now. He was supposed to ignore it, to joke about it. And yet here he was, in his room, lying on his bed and hiding from the world, hiding from his team._

_“Rin?”  
_

_Of course, that didn’t stop his team from finding him. It was Makoto on the other side of his door. Makoto was always the one to knock some sense into him when he was sulking._

_“Can I come in?”_

_It was nice of him to ask this, right now. Back when they lost in high school, Makoto just barged into his room to drag him out, and shoved a ball on his hand. He said Rin needed to expend the energy and frustration through some hard exercises. (Nagisa had thought of the idea, Rin later figured out. Haruka had asked Makoto to do it, knowing full well how Rin couldn’t say no to his co-captain.)_

_This time though, Makoto’s voice was softer and much like himself. It didn’t feel like he was forcing himself to be stern on the team’s behalf. When he opened the door, it was slow and uncertain, as if Rin would ever deny him this. (Rin had figured out early on that there was nothing he could deny Makoto, if Makoto just asked.)_

_“Rin?,” he repeated. The room was dark, and the bright lights from the hallway surrounded Makoto from behind. He was a large silhouette, but his posture was all hunched shoulders and a bowed head. Every fiber of him screamed worry._

_“I’m fine,” Rin said unconvincingly, from where he was hiding behind two blankets and a pillow fort. “I’ll be fine,” he amended, when he realized his voice was even hoarser than he thought it would be.  
_

_Makoto stepped in and closed the door behind him, bringing complete darkness back in the room. “Yeah,” he said._

_His voice was hoarse too. Maybe he was crying as well. Rin ached at the thought of Makoto crying more. That was his fault. He should have brought them to the finals, should have been sterner and better and-_

_The bed dipped as Makoto sat on the vacant side of the bed. He was quiet as he slowly took pillow after pillow and set them on the side._

_Rin felt vulnerable. Like he was letting Makoto deconstruct the walls he was trying to build after everything. (This wasn’t true, of course. Makoto was never outside the wall. The team was never outside the wall, but Makoto especially. If there was anyone who was allowed to see Rin vulnerable, it was Makoto. They’ve both seen each other at their bests and at their worsts.)_

_“We’ll be fine,” Makoto said decisively, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than Rin._

_The pillows between them were gone now, and for the first time in a while, Rin saw Makoto’s face. There were dark circles under his eyes, a tiredness that wasn’t there even when they were training too hard. Rin felt the ache in him intensify._ _He reached a hand out and touched Makoto’s cheek, swiping his thumb under Makoto’s eyes. He looked like how Rin felt, like the world just ended and there was no longer any hope._

_Rin wanted to fix this. Except he couldn’t even fix himself, couldn’t face his team, couldn’t stand up like he was supposed to do._

_How would he stop Makoto from hurting if he himself continued to hurt?_

_Makoto laid a hand on his, tightening his hold and forcing a joyless smile. It broke immediately and his eyes turned down to stare at the mattress. “I’m sorry,” he said._

_“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Rin chastised quietly. Makoto was phenomenal throughout the games. He was a great catcher, and a good batter. But beyond that, he was an emotional pillar in the dugout. He was right there with Rin to push the team forward.  
_

_“You didn’t, either,” Makoto replied firmly. “You’re a great captain.”  
_

_Rin scoffed. “Not that great.”_

_Makoto shook his head, taking his hand and placing it on the bed instead. He clutched it with both hands, tight enough to be painful. It felt good somehow, grounding. “You are,” he insisted. “You will always be. We chose you, remember?”_

_They didn’t, not really. Rin barged into Iwatobi High School and strongarmed everyone into joining the baseball team. Then, he strongarmed them into joining him in Tottori Pirates. Rin was captain because he was the first member._

_“No,” Makoto said, like he could read Rin’s thoughts. “We **chose** you. We didn’t have to join this team. I could have gone to university, but I chose you. Haruka chose professional baseball because of you. Nagisa confronted his parents to join  **your** team. Rin, you’re our captain because we chose you.”  
_

_Rin could feel the tears prickling his eyes. He knew they accepted him as captain, of course. This isn’t some new revelation. Makoto was just stating the facts. But hearing that right now, when he felt like the world was crumbling down around him, it felt like a weight was lifted off his chest._

_“Whatever anyone says, we’re always going to follow you, captain.”  
_

_Rin sat up and leaned his head on Makoto’s shoulder, reaching an arm around him for a tight hug. It was the same position they were in after they lost, but this time, it wasn’t tears of grief. Affection and gratitude welled inside Rin’s heart as he cried on Makoto. The articles were bad, and the media would continue to talk badly about him for sure, but with his team by his side, he could survive this._

_They were going to survive this together._


	138. distracting roommate [soumako]

Sousuke didn’t think it would become a big issue. He was studying to become a physical therapist for athletes, and he found out from Rin that Makoto was studying to become a swimming coach. They were on similar paths, and going to the same university as well.

It was just a really good idea to share an apartment to save on expenses and have someone familiar close by.

It was a good idea at the time.

Not so much now, with Makoto standing naked behind the bathroom door and asking “Can you bring my towel, Sousuke-kun? I left it at my bed” with a sheepish smile and a slight flush on his cheeks.

Sousuke immediately backed off the hallway and scampered to their room. Yeah, he  _scampered._  He doesn’t have to deal with this. He did not sign up for this.

 

Of course, the problem was, Makoto was a surprisingly clumsy person. He forgot things like his towel, or his clothes. He forgot his umbrella one time and went home soaking wet and looking simultaneously like a wet kitten and a male model. It short-circuited Sousuke’s brain for a moment.

And yeah, you’d think Sousuke wouldn’t be affected by any of this.

He’s in a swim club! He swims with Makoto regularly ever since they were in high school! They shared a locker room every time their teams practiced together!

Sousuke  _shouldn’t be_ affected by this.

But! But he’s  _living_ with Makoto now. And the worse thing than seeing him naked in  _their_ home, is seeing him  _comfortable_ and  _unassuming_ and  _completely carefree_  around Sousuke. He was freaking adorable when he admitted he didn’t know how to cook, which was really just unfair. It was a  _flaw_. He had no right to be  _cute_ about it.

There was also the part where he thought Makoto was always just gentle and nice, until he brought his game console in the living room and they played mario cart. It was… an eye-opener. Makoto trash-talked worse than  _anyone_ Sousuke has ever met, and he’s played with the most competitive people. Makoto shouting “don’t you  _fucking_ dare!” while shoving him to the side is a memory he holds close to his heart.

It’s like… seeing how Makoto was at home made the whole nakedness thing keyed up. Besides, it’s  _their_ home. There’s the huge difference. It’s not like the communal locker room. This was just for the two of them.

 

And also. It’s not as if Sousuke was new to the whole attracted-to-men thing. He was in love with Rin for the majority of his life. He knew exactly what it felt. (He was  _not_ in love with Makoto, that’s for sure. This wasn’t quite that yet. The keyword being ‘yet’. This was that feeling you get when you ride a rollercoaster, that pit in your stomach just before the fall. You know it’s coming. You brace yourself for it.)

 

“Hey,” Makoto waved a hand at him absentmindedly, lounging on the bed on his boxers. He didn’t use to do it, being polite and shy and new to the whole living with a non-relative thing. Sousuke doesn’t even remember when the change happened, only that it was one of those moment when he had to back away and regroup. “How was your group work?”

Because, of course, he listened properly and knew where Sousuke had gone. Because he’s a great guy who’s sweet and nice. “It was fine. We’re almost done with the presentation. Just waiting for that other guy.”

Makoto cringed and said, “Kota hasn’t finished his part?”

Because  _of course_ he remembered the names Sousuke dropped on him when he was tired and grumbling about his group project. “Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “That asshole better send Saku the file or I’ll personally kick his ass.”

Makoto laughed, shaking his head fondly. “I bet he would send it just because he’s scared of you.”

“He better.”

“It’s gonna be fine,” Makoto said, smiling encouragingly. “You’ve got this.”

It kinda sucked how much Sousuke found himself believing those words, just because Makoto said them.

This was really becoming quite an issue.

They… probably need to talk.

 

“We need to talk.” Sousuke stood in front of Makoto on the couch, very deliberately obstructing his view of the TV.

Instead of getting annoyed, Makoto sat up and looked worried. “Oh. Okay. What is it?” He reached at the remote and shut off the TV before looking at Sousuke with searching eyes.

Sousuke took a deep breath and let it out in one rush. He can do this.

“Here’s the thing,” he started heavily. “You’re really hot and it’s a problem.”

“… _what?”_

 _“You’re really hot and it’s a problem_ ,” Sousuke repeated, refusing to explain anymore.

Makoto stared at him, with wide eyes and color rising on his cheeks. “I don’t- Why- What?” He stood up then, to be at least level with Sousuke. “I don’t understand.”

“Living with you is hard because you’re too hot,” Sousuke clarified, voice getting quieter by the end because he’s slowly realizing how stupid he must sound.

“Because… I’m too hot…” Makoto still sounded dumbfounded and confused. “You think I’m hot.”

“Well, yeah,” Sousuke said, gesturing to Makoto’s whole like it was the most obvious thing. Perhaps it wasn’t as obvious to some people, but they should try living with him with a few months. It’s torture.

“And living with me is hard because…?”

“Your hotness is, uh, distracting?” Sousuke grimaced. “No, unfair?” He groaned, covering his face with a hand in disgust at his own reply. “It’s just hard, okay? I’m attracted to you and that’s unfair to you. I offered to share an apartment with you, so I shouldn’t…”

Makoto laughed.

He  _laughed_. Giddy and excited and relieved.

“You could have just tried asking me out,” Makoto said, trying to be coy but sounding like an excited child more. His face was as red as what Sousuke’s face feels like.

“What?”

Makoto smirked and repeated, “ _You could have just tried asking. me. out.”_

Sousuke hit him on the chest for that, a nervous laugh bursting out of him. “You… It’s okay?”

Makoto just laughed again and gestured to his whole body. “Let’s just say… You weren’t the only one distracted?”

They both laughed, and strangely, solving the ‘issue’ was just that easy.


	139. most beautiful man [harurin]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on molly / ofgeography's most beautiful man in the world anecdote

The Most Beautiful Man in the World lived in Rin’s apartment, and it’s the worst thing to ever happen to him in his  _entire_  life.

Okay, that’s a hyperbole.

Not the first statement, because that man REALLY is The Most Beautiful Man in the World. It’s just the second part, because while it’s Disastrous as fuck, he’s still pretty blessed to see the man every now and then. It’s like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, or watching the sun set at the beach. There’s a feeling of happiness, of his whole heart filling with joy every time he sees the man. Personally witnessing the play of light on his hair as he descends down the stairs in his jogging clothes that perfectly showed how fit he was… it was a highlight in Rin’s day.

Except after every encounter, he feels like digging a hole and staying there forever.

It was a mixed-feelings kind of experience.

\- - -

Rin didn’t know his name. Or where exactly his unit was. Or even what to call the kind of blue his eyes were. What he did know was: Rin was not meant to talk to him. It was fate. The Universe itself didn’t want Rin to have a chance with The Most Beautiful Man in the World.

The first time he saw the man, Rin was going back from jogging. He was sweaty, disgusting, and his hair tie snapped just a few minutes ago so his long hair was all over his face. He looked, quite honestly, like a used-up washcloth. It was  _that_ bad.

Upon catching a glimpse of The Most Beautiful Man in the World, Rin felt his heart double its pace, and it had nothing to do with his run. It was just the effect the man had. Rin was sure anyone would feel the same way.

Nervous, distracted, and tired, Rin misstepped on the stairs and almost careened towards the ground.

“Uh,” The Most Beautiful Man in the World said, holding Rin by the shoulder to steady him. “Are you alright?” He had a soft and quiet but firm voice. It was like silk, fitting the elegance of his whole being.

Rin turned red and shook his head. “I’m- I left my stove open,” he said, before darting off upstairs.

_Why did he say that?_

He didn’t know. The Most Beautiful Man in the World was too beautiful, and Rin was helpless to find coherency.

\- - -

And it didn’t end there. No. It got  _worse_.

The second time he saw The Most Beautiful Man in the World, Rin had bright pink ice cream all over the front of his white shirt. It didn’t look artsy or anything. It looked like  _a mess._  Like how Rin is, whenever he sees The Most Beautiful Man in the World. It was sticky and honestly uncomfortable, because it was  _ice cream._ It wasn’t supposed to be on your shirt. (Rin would never ever treat Nagisa again.)

Rin locked eyes with The Most Beautiful Man in the World for a moment before the man looked down at his shirt. His perfect eyebrows raised and he looked like he was going to ask, so Rin said “Good morning” (in a squeaky, panicked unattractive voice!) before running up the stairs.

\- - -

The third time, Rin had combed his hair, his shirt was stain-free and his pants didn’t have any holes in it. He was  _ready_. That day, when he walked home from work, he was thinking ‘I hope I see The Most Beautiful Man in the World, because I look  _good.’_

He tempted fate.

Just a few blocks away from his apartment, he was feeling quite lucky.

Until an old woman threw down water from her balcony, splashing some on Rin’s pants. It was… it was the pungent smell of fish.

His eyes widened in fear and he looked down, only to be assaulted by the foul smell. He lived in a seashore town, so this wasn’t a new smell, but still. They were far enough in the city that this didn’t happen often.

It was  _awful_.

Rin ran off towards the apartment, hoping no one else, especially The Most Beautiful Man in the World, would see him.

But Fate was out to get him.

He was  _so close_ to his unit, only one floor away, when he saw The Most Beautiful Man in The World looking as perfect as ever in his casual clothes. His eyes widened upon seeing Rin, and then his cute nose twitched and he blinked. He smelled it. He smelled Rin. Rin will forever be remembered now as the fish-smelling man.

“Fish are friends,” Rin said, for no reason at all, because his mind ONCE AGAIN shut down at the sight of such perfection.

Without waiting for a reply, he waved a hand and ran to the stairs, hoping a huge bolt of thunder could just strike him down at that moment.

\- - -

“You-” Nagisa was laughing. Nagisa was laughing  _really_ hard, because he was a horrible human being hiding behind that angelic face. “You said  _fish are friends_?!” He laughed some more, clutching his stomach and doubling over on the couch.

Sousuke was much more subtle, chuckling and shaking his head. “That’s… That’s new.”

“You’re such a dork!” Nagisa added, pointing at Rin while  _still_ laughing.

“Shut up!” Rin glared at him, crossing his arms. “It’s not my fault, okay? It’s his fault for being The Most Beautiful Man in the World.”

“Are we actually calling him that?” Sousuke raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Rin and Nagisa said simultaneously.

“His hair is like the  _night sky_ , and his eyes are like  _stars_ , Sou-chan,” Nagisa crooned, obviously trying to mimic Rin. “The light  _caresses_ his face like he was the purpose the sun shone.”

Rin glared harder. “I didn’t say that!” He kind of  _implied it_ , but still. Those words aren’t his own.

“Okay, so what does he actually look like?” Sousuke asked curiously.

Like the smell of fresh air after the rain. Like the sight of a waterfall hidden in the middle of the forest. Like the sound of the sea when you walk by the beach.

Not that he’d say any of that.

“Kind of like [Miura Haruma](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fvignette1.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fdegrassi%2Fimages%2F1%2F1f%2FMiura-haruma-photobook-wallpaper.jpg%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20140204195120&t=NjM3MjJkMTZjOTgyMTE2ZGJkZGNhZTdjOTQ2ZDIyNjAxOWFhNzEwZiw3OENPS29vSw%3D%3D&b=t%3ADiKt8RB-O-PAnOPdMMrmvw&p=http%3A%2F%2Fmoeblobmegane.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F146055645480%2Fso-theres-this-famous-anecdote-now-read-all-of&m=1),” Rin said, shrugging while adding in his head,  _if Miura Haruma was The Most Beautiful Man in the World._

“Then, I don’t understand why you can’t talk to him. He’s just human.” Sousuke, ever the pragmatic man, tried to reason with him.

But reason has no place in this argument. The Most Beautiful Man in the World defies logic. He is Too Beautiful to be confined in such restraints. The Most Beautiful Man in the World could take his wallet and kick him on the shins and Rin would  _thank him_. He was just THAT beautiful.

“You haven’t seen him,” Rin sighed in despair, slumping down the bean bag he was sitting in. They were at Sousuke’s apartment, because, as Sousuke put it, ‘you need to stop being pathetic’. (Rin  _can’t_  though, because he’s  _cursed._ )

Nagisa rolled his eyes and hopped over to his side, slinging an arm on his shoulders and nuzzling on his hair. “Have you seen  _yourself_?,” he teased. “You’re a catch. I’d date you.”

“I won’t,” Sousuke chimed in. “But only because that would be creepy and I’m married to your sister. You’re a catch though; that’s true.” He shrugged.

Rin made a face at him and then reached up to mess with Nagisa’s hair. “I am pretty hot,” he conceded.

“ _Smokin’_ ,” Nagisa added, grinning.

“Ugh,” Rin groaned, dropping his head down as he thought about it. Nagisa settled on the armchair, looking down at him. “I  _know_ I look good sometimes. Man, I can be  _really_ attractive. But you know who doesn’t know that?”

Sousuke and Nagisa shared a look, laughing quietly again.

“The Most Beautiful Man in the World!” Rin exclaimed, looking at both of them with wide eyes. “Why?! Why would the Universe do this to me?”

Nagisa patted him on the back. “There’s always more chances. He  _does_ live in your building.”

\- - -

There  _were_ chances; that was true.

But the thing is, the Universe really was against Rin.

How would you even explain not seeing The Most Beautiful Man in the World during the whole week when Rin was quite honestly Stunning and Almost Flawless?

The Most Beautiful Man in the World was no show.

Instead, on a Saturday, at the crack of dawn after a long night of partying, Rin saw him.

Or better yet, The Most Beautiful Man in the World saw Rin.

Rin was shitfaced drunk, slumped on the stairs one floor away from his unit, and moaning for water.

And oh yeah. He was  _wearing a maid’s outfit._

A!!! Maid’s!!! Outfit!!! (This is still Nagisa’s and Sousuke’s fault, because of that stupid costume party and that stupid bet, goddammit.)

Rin didn’t even notice him until The Most Beautiful Man in the World was crouching in front of him with a pretty little wrinkle in his eyebrows. How does frowning look good on him? That’s stupid. His face is stupid.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World laughed a bit. Just a tiny laugh, like a small gust of wind, but it was enough to lighten his face up even more.  _How_ was he more beautiful? This is ridiculous. That’s  _illegal._ Someone should arrest him.

Rin took his phone from his pocket and long-pressed #2. A voice answered from the other line. Sousuke sounded tired and annoyed. “Hello? Are you dead? If not, hang up.”

“You should arrest this guy, Mr. Police,” Rin slurred. “His face is illegal.”

“What?” Sousuke groaned, then added, “I’m calling your landlord to check on you. You’re at the apartment, right?”

“He’s sitting on the stairs,” The Most Beautiful Man in the World answered for him. Why did The Most Beautiful Man in the World take his phone? Oh, he could have it though. He deserves everything. “Sasabe-san is- Oh, he’s coming. He’ll be fine… Yeah, I’m his neighbor. I need to go to now. Sasabe-san will take care of him…”

Rin closed his eyes, and the next thing he saw was Sasabe dropping him on his couch and putting a glass of water on the table.

When he woke up the next day, he didn’t know if it was a dream or not.

\- - -

It took another week before Rin could see The Most Beautiful Man in the World again.

This time, they weren’t at the apartment. Instead, Rin was standing by the park, staring down at a large bush in betrayal. Kuro, the black cat who lived in the park, had just scratched his hand. It was  _bleeding_. Kuro had no remorse at all, simply trotting to his usual napping place behind the bush.

“I  _trusted_ you! I gave you  _everything_! Half my lunch, Kuro, you just took it.”

He was ranting down at the bush, clutching his hand to his chest.

“I thought we were  _friends_! We had something beautiful!”

He heard a quiet laugh, and looked towards the side, ready to apologize for the racket, when he saw it was The Most Beautiful Man in the World.

“I- uh-” Rin tried hard to find words, but he the shock of seeing The Most Beautiful Man in the World outside the apartment was so jarring that he was rendered speechless.

“Can I-” The Most Beautiful Man in the World stepped forward and reached out timidly, like he was afraid Rin would bolt like a scared cat. “I have disinfectant and bandaid here.”

Rin blinked and nodded, offering the back of his hand where the scratch was. “Thank you,” he said, which was the first normal-sounding sentence he has ever said to The Most Beautiful Man in the World. It was quite the accomplishment.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World’s hands were gentle on his. They were slightly cold, but pleasant. They had callouses that would be a flaw to other people, but instead added character in Rin’s mind.

Once he was finished, he looked at Rin one last time and said, “Be careful,” before jogging away.

Rin just stood there, staring at his hand in awe.

\- - -

Rin was walking up the first flight of stairs in the apartment when his cellphone vibrated. Not thinking much of it, he immediately took it out and unlocked it. He faltered in his steps when he noticed The Most Beautiful Man in the World walking down right in front of him.

But he was  _determined_ to act normal. He was going to be a functional human being and say hello. And move on, as any neighbor would.

“Good morning,” he said, a bit stiltedly but good enough to be casual.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World blinked once before nodding in greeting.

They walked ahead. Casual as that.

He was doing  _so good_ , until he looked down and saw what the message was.

Tears filled his eyes. He gasped audibly, a bit dramatically maybe, and uttered a heartfelt “ _Ohmygod”._  He stopped on his steps and stared down at his phone.

“Oh my god,” he repeated, crying freely now. “Oh my god.”

He felt a presence come nearer, and saw The Most Beautiful Man in the World standing by his side awkwardly, staring wide-eyed at him. “I’m okay,” he sobbed very unconvincingly. “I’m just- I’m overwhelmed- Just-” He sniffed and tried to calm down, but he couldn’t stop the tears. He had always been a crybaby. Gou knew that, which is probably why she sent this by text instead of letting him go with her.

“Are you… okay…?” The Most Beautiful Man in the World looked like he was panicking. It was another expression Rin has never seen before.

“I’m fine,” Rin insisted, waving a hand. “My sister just sent me this.” He passed his cellphone over, letting The Most Beautiful Man in the World hold it as he used his sleeves to wipe his tears.

“ _Oh_.” Another expression appeared on The Most Beautiful Man in the World’s face. His expression softened, a small smile gracing his lips and his eyes shining in wonder. “Congratulations.” He gave back the phone, and Rin looked back down at the photo of the ultrasound Gou just sent. It was just some figure on a screen but Rin felt so much emotion just looking at it.

Rin, now considerably calmer, offered one hand, feeling a surge of confidence. Crying your heart out in front of a stranger is weird enough. He could probably do something as simple as introduce himself.

“I’m Rin, by the way,” he said.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World looked down at his hand for a moment before taking it in a firm grasp. “I’m Haru,” he said, lips curving into a small smile. “Nice to meet you, Rin.”

Well, The Most Beautiful Man in The World has a name now.

It was a start.

\- - -

~~(Years later in a wedding–~~

~~Sousuke: “One day, you just went up to us and complained that you saw The Most Beautiful Man in the World, and couldn’t do anything. It was pretty annoying. That phrase is _way too long_. Now, I’m glad you could just call him ‘your husband’. Congratulations, Rin.”)~~


	140. pokemon go [nagirin]

Rin should never, ever listen to Nagisa’s ideas. He  _knew_ this, and yet.

And yet here they were.

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Rin whispered, elbowing Nagisa ‘accidentally’ in the cramped space of the broom closet. “I don’t know why I ever listen to you.”

Nagisa’s voice, when he spoke, made it obvious that he was smiling giddily as always. He was  _excited._  The brat. “That’s because you love me,” he said simply.

And well. That was true. Rin did not have an argument against that. It was probably the stupidest thing he ever chose to do, but the heart wanted what it wanted and all that shit. That didn’t mean he couldn’t complain when Nagisa pulled him into these kinds of situations though. “As soon as the security guard walks away, we’ll sneak off. Okay?”

“But I haven’t caught the Kangaskhan yet, Rin-chan,” he whined. “It’s further off the building.”

“We’re  _trespassing._ You did not come to Australia to catch Pokemon, Nagisa.” He tried his hardest to sound stern.

“I visited to see you because I love you,” Nagisa said, nodding, “but  _Kangaskhan_ , Rin-chan.” He rose to tiptoes and kissed Rin’s cheeks sweetly, nuzzling his head on Rin’s cheek after. “Please?”

 _God. Nagisa would be the death of him_. “Fine,” he sighed. He kissed the top of Nagisa’s head. “Let’s catch that Kangaskhan.”


	141. come here often? [makorin]

_“So, come here often?”_

_The guy looked at Rin with wide, confused eyes. Rin tried hard not to blush to the tips of his hair, but it was close. He didn’t usually do this, and he knew the local pool wasn’t really the type of place you’d use that line in, but come on, Rin had to. He’d been cooped up at home for a week now and as soon as he went to the pool, he was assaulted by this Greek God-level of beauty? Rin was only human. He was weak._

_“Um.” The guy turned red all over, from his cheeks to the tip of his ears. It was adorable. And unfair. He wasn’t allowed to be this hot and also that adorable. It’s against the law. “Matsuoka-san…”_

_Shit. Shit. Shit. The guy knew his name. Why would he know Rin’s name? Does he KNOW this guy? Oh god, maybe his lack of sleep was making him delusional. He’s going to blame this on Nagisa and his natural ability to mess up Rin’s life. (He LOVES his son with a burning passion, but sometimes he needed sleep, alright?!)_

_“I’m Makoto Tachibana,” he introduced, and well. Fuck. “I’m your son’s new swimming instructor.”_

_Oh my god._

_What are the chances he could get struck by lightning here right now? None? Dammit._

_Rin forced an awkward laugh, stepping back subtly. “Ah yes, of course. Nice to meet you. Nagisa’s told me all about you.” He’s said Mako-sensei was the most amazing person next to daddy. Rin should have prepared himself for this better. Maybe searched his name on the internet for visuals._

_Tachibana was still blushing. “He talks about you all the time, too.” He stepped back as well, and almost fell over when he slipped a bit. Rin reached out a hand to steady him. The blush spread to his neck. “Well. Uh. I’ll go now.” He ran off._

_“I think he’s got a crush on you,” Nagisa said, appearing right beside Rin. He patted Rin’s leg, grinning widely up at him. “We should ask him to eat lunch with us.”_

_Rin hummed thoughtfully, watching Makoto glance back at them before bolting into the restroom. “We should.“_


	142. haikyuu crossover [nagirin fam]

_Rin has learned to accept that his son will never be a swimmer, partly because he hated swimming but mostly because of how hard he fell for volleyball the moment he saw the Little Giant. It was so unfair. Hinata always said Rin was ‘the coolest’ and that ‘seeing dad swim makes me happiest!’ but now he had posters of this random stranger._

_Rin would not lose to some punk ass high schooler._

_“Sweetheart,” Nagisa cooed, patting him on the back, “you’re still his favorite.”  
_

_“No,” Rin groaned, sinking into the couch and sulking. “I asked him who he liked best and he said ‘the little giant’! He was so cute, Nagisa. He used to talk like that about me!”  
_

_“Maybe it’s a phase?” Nagisa smiled awkwardly. They both knew how intense Hinata could be, and how stubborn, he was their son after all.  
_

_“Maybe,” Rin said, though he didn’t believe it.  
_

_…_

_“He’s not home yet?!” Rin stared down at his phone, pushing the button on the treadmill to slow it down. He waited very patiently for a response, but was answered by silence. “Nagisa… what did you do?”  
_

_There was a laugh, that mixture of amused but guilty that only Nagisa could pull off. “I asked him to follow his instincts?”_

_“Nagisa…” He wanted to growl and also to just go home right now, but he was quite literally an ocean away from them. “What did his instincts tell him?”_

_“To sneak into a development camp for exceptional freshmen players?”  
_

_Rin was ready to scold Nagisa but he had to pause. “Wait. Why does he have to sneak in? He wasn’t invited? What the fuck? He’s the best! Those coaches are blind!”_

_“I know, right?!”  
_

_“He better show them how huge a mistake it was that he didn’t get invited!”  
_

_“I think so too! It was totally right to sneak in!”  
_

_Rin had to put all his willpower into calming down. He was the rational one in this relationship, and he had to be the logic in Nagisa’s crazy schemes. “But you have to scold him,” he said as sternly as he could. “Make sure to tell him it’s not right to sneak in like that.”_

_Nagisa was so obviously pouting. It was clear in his voice when he said, “Fiiine, I will.”_


	143. pRINce in distress [nagirin]

_Nagisa looked down at Gou’s phone, the one she left this afternoon in his room. It was a red phone with a purikura of the two of them at the back. The screensaver is a picture of her and her (hot) older brother at the beach in Australia. It had a passcode, but he knew what it was, so the temptation of going through it was pretty big._

_He loved being alive though, and he was sure she would be really angry if he messed with her phone. He would rather not._

_His musing was cut off when the phone in front of him rang, the screen lighting up with [Big Brother♥ calling…]_

_Well, this was one way to give it back, he supposed._

_“Hello?”  
_

_There was a pause from the other line. Then, with a strained calm voice, Gou’s big brother asked, “Who’s this?”_

_“I’m Nagisa! Gou-chan left her phone here in my room so-”  
_

_“Why was she in your- who are you to-”  
_

_“I’m her best friend!” Better to cut that off before he jumps into conclusions. Gou was like a twin sister to him, and hearing anyone imply him and her being in any kind of romantic relationship was just weird. “We were doing a project together earlier.”  
_

_“Ah. Fine. I’ll tell her,” he answered, then in a quieter voice, probably not meant to be heard by Nagisa, he said, “as soon as I find a way to get the fuck out of here.”_

_“Need help?”  
_

_“I don’t **need help** , kid,” he said, seemingly annoyed. “I just-” There was a bang from the background and someone shouting “RIN MATSUOKA! COME OUT HERE AND DRINK LIKE A MAN!” There was rustling, and then a small “fuck”._

_“Sounds like you need help, to be honest,” Nagisa said seriously. “I’m free. Where are you?”  
_

_“I don’t need-” Another bang and a louder “QUIT SULKING, YOU INSUFFERABLE CAPTAIN!”  
_

_“If you’re close, I can take my car and get there fast~” Nagisa very rarely drove, since he once almost drove off the beach for some reason, but hey. This is important. “You know, I can give you the phone so you can give it back to Gou-chan too.”  
_

_“That… makes sense,” Rin said begrudgingly. He told Nagisa his location, a beachside bar and restaurant, which was luckily really close to Nagisa’s dorm.  
_

_“I’ll be there in five minutes!”  
_

_He heard a quiet “how the fuck” before he hung up._

_\- - -_

_He arrived in less than five minutes. And probably broke lots of driving regulations. But well. He wasn’t arrested! So that was good._

_He parked the car at the side quickly and then dashed towards the restaurant, bypassing the party seemingly happening. He went directly to the rest room where only one stall was locked. A large man with black hair was kicking on the door._

_“What the fuck, Rin!” He didn’t look angry, just annoyed and slightly drunk. “Just mingle and shit! This is not that hard!”  
_

_“Stop trying to set me up with random people, Sousuke!” a voice from inside the stall shouted in the same annoyed tone. “I’m not interested!”  
_

_“And why is that?” Sousuke crossed his arms and glared at the door. “Don’t tell me you’re still waiting for The One or some shit. I don’t believe you.”  
_

_“It’s more like he already found The One, to be honest,” Nagisa spoke up and stepped forward, smiling his most charming smile. He walked over to the stall and knocked twice. “Hey, babe, I’m here now so can we please go home?”  
_

_Sousuke gaped at him, and a silence fell in the room._

_And then, the door opened slowly with a defeated-looking Rin inside. “That’s stupid,” he said, but placed his arm around Nagisa’s shoulders anyway. “I haven’t decided that.” They began walking away._

_“What the fuck,” they heard Sousuke say as they closed the door behind them.  
_

_\- - -_

_“The One, really?”  
_

_Rin took his arm off Nagisa’s shoulder and walked faster, sighing as soon as they were out of the restaurant. “It’s not like that,” he said. “I just don’t want to try the whole dating scene. My team dragged me out here to meet people, and I couldn’t say no.”_

_“That sucks,” Nagisa said sincerely. “Both the fact that they can’t back off and that you’re not dating,” he added, giving the older boy a cheeky grin.  
_

_Rin narrowed his eyes. “Are you flirting with me?”_

_“Are you feeling particularly flirted with?”  
_

_“That question doesn’t make sense,” Rin said, staring at him with a confused expression.  
_

_Nagisa just laughed and shrugged. “I might be flirting, if you’re up to it right now.”_

_“I don’t think that’s how flirting works, actually.”_

_They arrived at Nagisa’s car without anyone stopping them, thank god. Rin was still looking at Nagisa like he was a puzzle. “Don’t care,” Nagisa said. “I’m not flirting if you’re not game. But it’d be great if you were.”_

_“So flirting is a game?” Rin opened the door as soon as Nagisa climbed inside.  
_

_“Maybe?” Nagisa paused. “Depends on what a game means to you, I guess.” He looked down at the steering wheel, and then asked, “So, do you know how to drive? Do you have a driver’s license right now?”  
_

_Rin stared at him for a long moment in silence before nodding._

_“Yeah, okay, you should drive,” he decided. They were pretty close to the beach where the last Incident happened, and Nagisa wasn’t inclined to repeat that one.  
_

_“You… drove over here, right?” Rin had that befuddled look on his face still. He should stop that, or else it might become permanent. It’s a good look but probably not his best. “You arrived pretty fast.”  
_

_Nagisa nodded. “Yeah, it was fun. Not sure I want to try again, though. Driving’s not really my thing.”_

_A look of sudden understanding appeared on Rin’s face. “Nagisa. That guy my sister always drives around.”_

_“The one and only.”  
_

_“Huh,” he said. “Thanks for driving to get me, then.” He looked like he was suppressing a smile now, which was such a shame because it probably looked really good on him. “Especially in this beach side.”  
_

_Nagisa blinked. “You know that story?”_

_Rin shrugged. “Gou loves telling it to everyone in the family. It’s like she’s purposefully making our mom angry.”_

_“I’m not normally that bad an influence,” Nagisa said, pouting.  
_

_“Yeah, sure,” Rin said, condescendingly. “I heard about you stripping in the middle of the night and going skinny dipping at your covered pool. And the half dozen time you almost set your dorm on fire.” He snickered, a small amused smile on his face. It was… really beautiful. Gou’s brother has a ridiculously beautiful face. “Did you really steal your school mascot so you can wear it to your friend’s birthday party?”  
_

_“Momo loves beetles! I had to!” He really, really did. It made Momo happy, and that was enough reason to do it. Nagisa didn’t care if the university got angry. It wasn’t that big of a deal. He was just borrowing it!  
_

_Rin full-on smiled at that. “So I’ve heard.” He sighed and opened the door, motioning to Nagisa. “Okay, let’s exchange so I can go home.”_

_\- - -_

_“Want me to turn on the radio?”  
_

_“No.”  
_

_“Want me to tell you a story?”  
_

_“What? No.”  
_

_Nagisa pouted. This was boring. “I thought rescuing a princess from the tower would be exciting.”_

_“You did no such thing,” Rin replied with a scoff.  
_

_“Clearly,” Nagisa agreed, “because this is not a happy ending.” He sighed. “Anyway, Gou-chan talks about you a lot, too.”_

_Rin seemed to perk up at that, and tried to hide it. Which was more adorable than this guy had any right to be. “Yeah?”_

_“She said you cried when she gave you her Christmas gift last year.”  
_

_Rin made a choked off noise. “I did not!”_

_Nagisa hummed. “She had a video, Rin-chan.”_

_Rin grimaced, not having any rebuttal to that except: “Don’t call me Rin-chan.”_

_“Why? We’ve bonded. You can call me Nagisa.”  
_

_“We’re not friends,” Rin said flatly. “You’re just here to give me my sister’s phone back.”  
_

_“We could be, though,” Nagisa insisted. “I’m a really good friend. Also! I saved your life! That’s gotta count for something!”  
_

_“You did not save my life. Stop being overdramatic.”  
_

_“I did save you, though.”  
_

_Rin sighed. “I’m not a very good friend, as you may have surmised from me walking out of that party.” He glanced at Nagisa, then added, “And you sound like a mess. No thanks.”_

_“First of all, I have it on good authority that you’re a GREAT friend and brother,” he said, causing Rin to blush a pretty shade of red. He looked annoyed about it, too, which made the whole thing even more prettier. “AND I may be a mess, but your sister likes me so you have it on good authority that I’m a good friend, at least.”  
_

_“I heard you’re a great friend, too,” Rin said, quietly. “Gou speaks very highly of you.”  
_

_Nagisa didn’t even try to hide the wide smile on his face. He loved Gou and would do anything for her, and she would do the same for him. Hearing her brother say this made him feel all warm. It felt good to be appreciated. “She’s great, too.”_

_“Yeah, she is.”  
_

_\- - -_

_“I bet she’d love it if we all hang out together,” Nagisa said, handing over Gou’s phone as soon as Rin had parked the car in front of his house. “Think about it. Her two favorite people in the world, in one place. She’d be overjoyed.”  
_

_“I’m not sure you’re her second favorite person,” Rin said, his tone teasing.  
_

_“I’m not,” Nagisa replied quickly. “I’m the first.”  
_

_Rin punched him on the arm. Damn, they’re at that stage already. See! They’re fast becoming friends! “Whatever,” he said. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”_

_“No problem! You can call me any time!”  
_

_Rin raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have your number.”_

_Nagisa grinned. “I have yours,” he said. “I’ll text you.”_

_“Why do you have my number?” Rin stopped right outside the car, leaning down to look at Nagisa’s face.  
_

_“Stole it from Gou-chan’s phone ages ago,” Nagisa confessed. “I’ve been curious.”  
_

_“Huh,” Rin said, expression turning thoughtful. “That’s vaguely disturbing. Not sure if I want to be your friend after knowing that.”  
_

_“Well,” Nagisa said, “if you don’t want to be friends, I’m willing to just jump to dating you.” He gave Rin his most charming smile.  
_

_Rin looked surprised for a whole ten seconds. But then, he just frowned and asked, “Is this you flirting?”  
_

_“Yeah, totally.” Nagisa nodded. He winked and did finger-guns. “Is it working? Do you feel flirted with?”  
_

_Rin shook his head, laughing. “You’re ridiculous.” He smiled. “Nice try, Nagisa. But I don’t have time for the dating scene right now.”_

_Nagisa exaggerated a sad face. “Well, I’m stumped now. This is a dead end.”_

_That got him another quiet laugh. A-ha. He was winning this so hard. “I guess we can hang out first, if Gou wants that.” Rin offered a hand. “Deal?”_

_He took the hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Deal!”_

_\- - -_

_**[To:** pRINce in distress_

_**From:** Nagisa_

_hey :D this is Nagisa!!! nice to meet you, Rin-chan!!!_

_looking forward to being friends with you <3_

_**]** _


	144. second pov rin angst

_You receive the letter one sunny day, Lori smiling happily at you as she handed it over. It’s from Nagisa, because of course it is. No one else would do something as ridiculous as this. Haruka must have already forgotten about you. Makoto would never put in an effort to reach you. Everyday, you think about that._

_But Nagisa, oh Nagisa is a child and in his young heart, writing a letter to you is an adventure._

_You’re thankful for it, even if you cannot quite say it, cannot quite write it down._

_Instead, you jokingly reply to his query and gives vague stories. He replies._

_He replies all the time._

_Week after week, you wait for it to stop, but it doesn’t. You’ve stopped replying, but he continues on._

_The letters get shorter, but it still makes you laugh, not the fake one you do in front of your host parents when they ask about your day or the forced one you do when someone makes a joke in class you don’t understand. Nagisa’s letters make you laugh for real, because Nagisa has always been pure of heart, and all Nagisa asks of you is to listen to his stories. You don’t have to do anything but read. Nagisa’s always seen you for who you are and accepted it._

_(Months later, the letters stop completely and you wonder if Nagisa got tired of you, too.)_


	145. nagisa is sad [nagirin]

_Nagisa was tired. Nagisa was really fucking tired of pretending like he had everything under control, that he was fine. He was stressed and feeling pressured and he didn’t know what to do. But he already had one breakdown. He already tried to run away once. One time too many, his father would say._

_He didn’t want to bother anyone anymore. It was unfair, to Rei and Gou who were also going through the same pre-graduation stress he was feeling, and to the upperclassmen who had their lives somewhere else now. Haruka and Rin were training for important competitions. Makoto and Sousuke were both knee-deep in work. They all had their lives to live. Nagisa had no right to add to their burdens._

_The only thing he should do is suck it up and slave away, like he did before the entrance exams. He’d just hide away from everyone until he could solve everything._

_But that plan was swiftly thrown off course when he got out of his dorm room to see Matsuoka Rin himself waiting by the hallway._

_He pasted on a smile, half-real at least, and rushed forward to give him a signature “flying hug” Nagisa-special._

_Rin returned the hug readily, though he immediately pulled back to stare Nagisa in the eyes. “You know,” he said, “I have a coupon for a cake buffet near here. You in?”_

_Eyes widening in surprise, Nagisa nodded._

_\- - -_

_Rin didn’t ask what was wrong or why there were dark circles under his eyes while walking to the cafe. He didn’t comment on the shabby clothes or Nagisa’s messy hair. Instead, he explained that he was in this neighborhood because of his training and he remembered Nagisa was near. He explained that he was tired from training and wanted to eat some cake for a break. He explained that “sometimes it’s okay to take a day off, right?” with a smile like he was remembering the weekends he and Nagisa spent watching movies and eating out._

_Nagisa may be academically bad, but he was not stupid._

_He could see through all of these._

_“Did Gou-chan call you?” He asked it as soon as they were seated inside the cafe, smiling knowingly.  
_

_Rin scowled and looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

_Nagisa poked him on the arm. “No, seriously. Who?”_

_It took about ten seconds of intense staring and poking until he broke. Rin-chan was still so easy. This was why he was Nagisa’s favorite. “Rei,” he grumbled. “He was worried.”_

_“I’m fine,” Nagisa said, eyes wide. Rin was busy and very easily emotional. He needed all his attention on the competition and not on Nagisa.  
_

_“Sure,” Rin accepted easily. “But I do need to use these coupons. So we’re eating no matter what.”  
_

_Nagisa sighed. “Okay.” Rin was as stubborn as him, and would never admit to wanting to help Nagisa. This was one area Nagisa can’t win against him._

_Deep inside his heart though, Nagisa didn’t really want to fight it. Rin came here for him, and was staying to check up on him. It was sweet and made him remember how much he was loved. They were there, when he needed them. Didn’t he tell Rin that, once? Before Rin went to Australia for the second time, Nagisa told him “I’m always here, whenever you want to come back.” He’d told him “Talking to Rin-chan is fun for me, too, so don’t be a stranger.”_

_“Eating out with you is relaxing,” Rin said, like an echo of Nagisa’s words. “So don’t worry about it.”  
_

_\-  - -_

_Nagisa went back to the buffet table only five times, but that was because Rin went back four times and gave all of his cake to Nagisa._

_“I don’t like sweets,” he said, as if it was logical that he was here in a cake buffet despite not wanting to eat any of it.  
_

_Nagisa rolled his eyes and ate every single cake he could get his hands on. Being sad when your stomach was full, and when you had one of the most important people in your life serving you cake with a warm look on his face, was nearly impossible. Nagisa’s mood brightened bit by bit, until he was truly smiling by the end of their meal._

_\- - -_

_“Thank you, Rin-chan,” Nagisa said, hugging him briefly when they got out of the cafe. “For the cake.” For being with me.  
_

_Rin just shrugged. “It was nothing,” he said. “I’ll walk you to your dorm. I have something to get from Gou.”_

_Nagisa laughed. “We’re not in the same dorm,” he said._

_“Well, it’s close,” Rin argued, taking hold of his wrist so he could drag Nagisa towards the direction of the university.  
_

_“Okay,” Nagisa conceded. “Thanks again.”  
_

_Rin shook his head. “Stop thanking me. I’m not doing anything.”_

_“Sure,” Nagisa drawled. “Nothing at allll.”  
_

_Rin hooked an arm around his neck and gave him a noogie._

_“Rin-chan!!!”  
_

_\- - -_

_It wasn’t the solution to all his problems, and he still had to face all the stress, but being with Rin made it easier to remember what he wanted and where he was going. It reminded him of where home was, and what he would do to go back there._

_It reminded him of who was waiting for him, at the end of the line._


	146. my cat steals your underwear [harurin]

_Rin finds out on a lazy Sunday afternoon._

_See, Nagi has her own life, okay? Rin’s a pretty chill owner. He knew that cats had a tendency to come and go as they please. He had ran a goddamn Cat House back in high school, leaving food and blankets in the abandoned building for the street cats near their school. He knew cats liked their freedom. Rin was fine as long as Nagi always came back._

_Nagi ALWAYS came back before the day was over, the remnants of dust or sand on her fur the only clue where she went. Sometimes, she’d bring critters or dead animals, and Rin always showed appropriate gratefulness for her thoughtfulness._

_But then. But then one day, she got back later than usual, and she had boxer briefs on her mouth._

_A few days later, it was a speedo. And then a week later, swimming trunks._

_Rin was confused for a very long time. Until that lazy Sunday afternoon when it all made sense._

_Nagi brought back another speedo, but this time it had something on it. Closer inspection revealed it was a letter taped into the fabric._

_**[** Dear whoever is taking the clothes,_

_Please bring them back to the Iwatobi Swimming Club. Haru’s too lazy to buy new ones and we’re worried he’ll just start walking around naked if he doesn’t get those things back. I guess if that’s your thing, you won’t bring it back, but!!! I’ll make it worth your while!!! Please bring them back. **]**_

_What the fuck._

_Rin went over the next day, since he had nothing else to do. He might as well get it over and done with._

_He put all the random clothes Nagi took into a paper bag and rode the train to Iwatobi. Nagi, seemingly used to the route, walked beside him like she owned the train. Some high schoolers cooed at her, seemingly used to her presence in the train. She ignored them like the queen she was._

_“Excuse me?” Upon arriving in the Swimming Club, he approached the first employee he saw. It was a tall man with brown hair and kind eyes. “Um,” he stuttered, only now realizing how awkward this would be. “I got this note,” he said, and showed it. “My cat is the one who-”_

_A look of understanding passed through the man’s face. “Oh, Nagi!” He laughed, crouching down to pet her. She surprisingly purred and basked in the attention. “It was you, huh? You naughty cat~”_

_The door behind opened, taking Rin’s attention. Haruka Nanase, record holder for most regional records, walked in, eyeing them blandly._

_“Haru-” Rin’s eyes widened as the pieces clicked into place. “Oh. Ohhh.” His cat has been stealing his rival’s clothes for some reason. He didn’t even know Haruka trained here. Shit. Fuck. This looked weird, didn’t it? Will Haruka think he trained his cat to do this?  
_

_That was a stupid thought. What good would it do if his cat stole Haruka’s swim suit? Nothing. Other than apparently giving him the idea to walk around naked. Which is a thing that Rin did NOT want. At all. He was not imagining it right now or anything._

_That was a lie. He was thinking about it now._

_It was… an interesting thought._

_An interesting thought for later. When he was alone. In his locked room._

_“Matsuoka?” Haruka stopped a few feet away from them, seemingly unsure whether it was safe to walk closer.  
_

_“Haru!” The employee smiled widely and picked up Nagi, cheerfully showing off the cat. “It was Nagi! She was taking your clothes. Her owner came by to-” His eyes widened and his ears started turning red. “Oh. I forgot to ask your name, sorry.”_

_“Matsuoka Rin,” Haruka said, still looking at Rin. “You’re here.”  
_

_“Just wanted to bring back the stolen goods,” Rin said, forcing a laugh. He stretched out his arm, offering the paper bag. “Here.”  
_

_Haruka shook his head. “You should swim,” he said._

_“I’m not here to swim. I’m here to give this back and I’m gone.”  
_

_“You should swim,” Haruka repeated, ever the stubborn one.  
_

_“What, are you that excited to race me?” Rin asked, trying to act smug. “Can’t wait until the official tournament?”_

_“Yes,” Haruka answered immediately. “Let’s go.” He walked off just like that, not even waiting for them.  
_

_“Ugh,” Rin groaned, hiding his face in his hands. God, he wasn’t sure if he was happy or annoyed. Maybe both. Haruka brought that cocktail of emotions in him always._

_Rin looked back to the employee and his cat._

_It felt like they had identical proud expressions on their faces._


	147. attack on titan au [nagirin]

_“You’re Matsuoka Rin!”_

_The first time they met, Nagisa cornered him after 3DMG training, smiling that bright smile that had no right shining in this awful post-apocalyptic world. People died everyday, especially in this line of business. Rin had no idea where this boy was getting his positivity. Maybe he exchanged his self-preservation for that optimism. “You’re Nanase-kun’s friend, right?”_

_“Rival,” he corrected, looking down to focus on detaching his gear instead of looking at those bright, hopeful eyes. “Do you need anything?”  
_

_“Yes!” Nagisa answered, with no shame at all. “Can you help me train? I’m not good with the 3DMG at all.”  
_

_“Why would I?” Rin raised an eyebrow incredulously.  
_

_“Well,” Nagisa said, in a weird melodic tone, like a singsong, “you’re the best at it, aren’t you?”  
_

_Despite his best efforts, Rin felt pride surge through him. He was, indeed, the best. Even Haruka wasn’t as good at it than he was. Haruka was fast, was strategic, and had a ridiculously good natural instinct, but he could not control the 3DMG the way Rin could. “Who told you that?” Rin had to look up then, see his expression and read it._

_Nagisa grinned widely. “I have eyes,” he answered simply. “So? Are you teaching me?”_

_Rin shrugged. “Only when I have time.”_

_That’s where it started._

.

_Rin learned a lot of things from the random times he met with Nagisa._

_First and foremost was Nagisa’s optimism being… well, inexhaustible. It was a constant trait, not something he faked. He **really**  believed that the Survey Corps could be the wings of freedom. He believed that they would be able to see the ocean in their lifetime._

_And that was another thing. The ocean._

_Rin thought only Haruka was as obsessed with the idea of the ocean as he was. But Nagisa was obsessed with everything outside. He read about the oceans, about the fishes, about penguins and sharks and dolphins. He read about jelly fish and whales. Nagisa wanted to see everything, wanted to experience everything._

_He was not afraid to hope. He was not afraid to look Rin in the eyes and say, “I’ll swim in the ocean someday. You’ll come with me, right?”_

_There was never a doubt in his heart._

_._

_Nagisa was brave. Rin thought maybe Nagisa was the bravest person he had ever met._

_It was not because he was never afraid, thought he looked like it. It was because he felt fear like anyone else, and yet he never backed down. He smiled, he persevered, and he faced it head-on. He was the first person who would go to the front lines and rally everyone against the titans._

_He was so, so brave._

_He was kind, and warm, and everything this awful world needed._

_He was everything this awful world did not deserve._

_._

_“Do you think I could swim well in the ocean?” Nagisa asked, lying down on the grass after a particularly hard training. “Maybe if I swim well enough, the fishes would accept me as their own. I could live underwater!”  
_

_“I don’t think you have the parts for that,” Rin answered blandly as he sat beside him. “I don’t think fishes would ever accept you.”  
_

_“Maybe they’ve evolved and can talk to us now,” Nagisa added, completely ignoring him.  
_

_“Then all the more reason for them not to accept you,” Rin said.  
_

_Nagisa picked up a handful of grass and threw it at him. “You’re mean.”_

_“I’m a realist,” Rin said.  
_

_“You’re boring,” Nagisa said. “The world is soooooo big. You have to be open! The world is huge and amazing! And we’ll see all of it!”  
_

_For a moment, looking into Nagisa’s eyes, Rin let himself believe in hope._

_._

_But here’s the thing about hope._

_Here’s the thing about life._

_When you begin to hope, this awful world would crush it._

_Hope had no place in a Titan-infested world._

_Hope had no place in a world where death always loomed at their door._

_._

_Rin was put in a squad with Haruka and Nagisa, alongside some others. Rei joined them for navigation and as a biologist. Makoto was their medic._

_Their mission was to get some samples Rei wanted, and to map the western sector the other squads haven’t reached. It was a dangerous mission. But then, every single mission was dangerous, wasn’t it?_

_._

_It happened too fast._

_It happened in a blink of an eye._

_One second, Rin was flying forward, staring ahead and safe in the knowledge that this area had no titans. They did their recon properly, after all. They were miles away from any titan._

_But then he heard it. The tell-tale sound of wood breaking. He looked back just in time to see a tree fall down, and with it, Nagisa. His 3DMG was lodged on it, and the break made him lose his balance._

_Rin detached his grapple hooks, turned in midair, and then shot them back up forward to reach Nagisa, who was falling rapidly. “Nagisa!” Faster than he has ever done before, he travelled the distance and detached his hooks until he could catch Nagisa, and then shot it as high as he could to escape the titan’s grasp._

_“Are you okay?” Rin asked, as soon as they were standing on a thick branch tens of feet away from the ground and away from the mid-sized titans. “Did you get-”  
_

_Nagisa was pale and shaking, but he smiled and softly said, “thank you for saving me, Rinrin.”_

_“I’ll throw you down there if you call me that again,” Rin said, unable to stop the smile that creeped on his face.  
_

_“Whatever you say, leader,” Nagisa said. “I think I’m-” He looked down and noticed his black box. “Oh no.” It had a tear at the side, the compressed gas long gone. He had no way to fly now, not with his equipment damaged. “Oh. Oh…” He dropped down on his knees, shaking. “Um. I guess… You should- I don’t-” He looked up, forcing a smile. It immediately broke as his eyes went glassy with unshed tears. “Protocol says you have to leave me here, right? Check if they’re close and come back if they are?” He bowed his head and took a deep shaky breath. “I’ll be fine. I will be.”  
_

_“You’re faster than me now,” Rin kneeled down, placing a hand on Nagisa’s shoulder. “You’re way faster than me now, right? As long as you go north and stick to the highest branches, you’ll be fine.”  
_

_“What-” Nagisa’s eyes widened as he realized what Rin was saying. “No!” He shook his head repeatedly. “No, no. You’re the best at using 3DMG, right? You’ll get there faster.”  
_

_“I’m better at combat, Nagisa. But you’ll reach them faster to ask for help. We both know that.” Rin took a deep breath, and started taking his gear off. “This is an order, Nagisa. You have to be fast. You can do it. I believe in you, okay? The best 3DMG user trained you, after all.”  
_

_\- - -_

_Nagisa wanted to hug him, or kiss him, or tell him “I’ve loved you ever since I saw you fly through the sky”._

_But that sounded too much like a goodbye. So instead, he smiled and said, “I’ll be back, Rinrin.”_

_._

_He didn’t encounter titans until he reached Haruka._

_They were being swarmed. Haruka took one look at him, and understood._

_They had no choice. They had to fight this flock, and then they had to protect Rei and his research. That was their job. That was their mission._

_If they wanted to save Rin, they had to finish this and come back later. There was no other choice._

_._

_Hours later, when everyone was safe, Nagisa and Haruka ran back to where Rin was._

_All they found was a bloody coat and the broken 3DMG._

_\- - -_

_The night they came back, Rin’s sister Gou pulled him into a tight hug._

_Finally, after hours of following military procedures and fighting for his life, Nagisa let himself break down._

_._

_It was the next day that Haruka found him again, hiding under his blankets. “Hey,” he said, soft in a way he never usually was. “I have something for you.”_

_Nagisa sat up but he could not look him in the eye. Haruka was Rin’s rival, but they were close in a way that no one else could explain. They understood each other. If it was Haruka, he could have found a way to save Rin. Nagisa couldn’t. Nagisa was weak and Rin gave his life to let him live. Rin should never have done that. Rin was too good, was too important to the cause._

_Nagisa was just a bad soldier._

_“He left this with me,” Haruka placed a letter at his side. On the cover was the familiar handwriting of Rin. “He told me to give it to you, if ever he…” He didn’t have to finish that sentence. They both knew. Rin was always the realist. Of course he was prepared for his death.  
_

_“I’m sorry,” Nagisa whispered, voice hoarse from all the crying.  
_

_“It wasn’t your fault,” Haruka said. “Read it, okay?” He walked out without waiting for a reply.  
_

_\- - -_

_[ Dear Nagisa,_

_If you’re reading this, I’m probably dead. It’s no use telling you not to cry, isn’t it? We both know you would. (You’d tell me I’m the crybaby, but that’s just a lie. I do not cry.) We also both know there has always been a huge chance one of us would die in these missions. It’s how this works. We’ve already given up our life the moment we wore those cloaks._

_But I know you don’t look at it that way. I know you’re trying to find a life. You’re the first person I met who looked at the sky and thought “I could fly”._

_Whenever we practice, it feels that way. You fly. You reach higher than anyone, and you’re faster whenever we need you to be. You fly because you’ve always felt the freedom. You want that freedom more than anyone I know._

_You made me feel like I’m flying too. Not just fighting, not just surviving. You make me feel like I’m flying._

_The world needs more of that, you know? The world needs more people who smiles and leaps and fights for freedom with hope. The world needs you, Nagisa. You’ll be good enough to fight through everything. You’ll be able to reach the ocean._

_I know you can. I believe in you._

_And if you’re reading this and I’m not there, then. Swim for me, would you?_

_Yours forever,_

_Rin ]_


	148. rin shovel talk @ tsukki [nagirin fam]

_Kei doesn’t even know why he’s there in the covered swimming pool on the other side of the school instead of their usual gym. Hinata’s dad just dragged him here and **took of his pants**  like some weirdo._

_“I’m sorry?” He cannot stop staring at that speedo. This is so weird.  
_

_“You can’t date my son if you can’t win against me in a race,” Rin says, puffing up his chest and putting his hands on his waist. It’s really weird.  
_

_“Are we even allowed here?” Kei asks, because that’s the important question here. And he doesn’t want to talk about dating Hinata yet to anyone, since he hasn’t asked Hinata about that yet. It feels wrong to discuss it with anyone that isn’t Hinata.  
_

_Hinata’s other dad, Nagisa, shrugs and says, “It’s kind of our thing. Breaking into swimming pools.”_

_Kei frowns. “So… no, then.” Isn’t that illegal?_

_Rin glares at Nagisa. “Don’t tell him that.”_

_“I don’t wanna lie to our son’s boyfriend!”  
_

_“I’m not really–”  
_

_“He’s not yet dating Shouyou! He’s not allowed to!”  
_

_“That’s not your choice, though,” Kei says. “It’s our choice. Well, Hinata’s choice. If he wants to date me.”_

_Nagisa’s eyes go wide and he leans forward in excitement. “So you WANT to date our son?”_

_“Don’t **encourage** him!” Rin shouts.  
_

_“But Rin-chan~” Nagisa pouts. It’s also weird. Why are Hinata’s parents so weird? It explains a lot of why he is the way he is, but also makes Kei question if Hinata is actually miraculously normal compared to his parents who breaks into pools and takes off their pants in front of strangers._

_“I want to,” Kei confirms. “But that’s between me and Hinata.” He’s not really confident that Hinata will want to date him. They fight more than anything, even though they’re close friends now.  
_

_“Of course it is,” Nagisa says, soft and gentle. He sounds encouraging, which makes Rin glare harder. “All we want is to make sure you won’t hurt him.”  
_

_“That’s why I haven’t confessed yet,” Kei finds himself saying, without much thought. This has been in his mind for the past few weeks, and it seems like he can’t keep it hidden any longer. Why is he saying this to Hinata’s dads? Maybe their weird vibe is contagious. “I don’t want to hurt him.”  
_

_Rin’s entire expression melts into something entirely too kind for someone who was asking for a duel moments earlier. “Oh,” he says._

_“Shouyou’s not that kind of boy,” Nagisa says. Kei suddenly sees the similarities in the way his eyes shine. This is exactly how Hinata looks like when he’s encouraging a player to be better. It’s a family trait, huh? “He’s strong, you know? He can handle that much.”  
_

_“I guess you’re not that bad,” Rin says. “If you’re thinking about his feelings first.” He huffs and crosses his arms, eyeing Kei thoughtfully. “I can respect that. But kid, you better be more active. My son’s pretty popular, you know?”  
_

_“Oh? Do you go around challenging underage boys in empty swimming pools?”  
_

_Nagisa bursts out laughing. Rin turns red, scowls, and points a finger at Kei. “You better show your respects after you confess!”_

_Instead of the multitudes of witty comebacks that comes to mind, Kei simply bows slightly. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”_

_“Aw,” Nagisa coos. “I can’t wait to have you over for dinner.”  
_

_“Stop encouraging him,” Rin grumps.  
_

_“Can I please go now? I’m late for practice.”  
_

_Rin graciously waves a hand. “If you hurt Shouyou, I’ll know.”_

_Nagisa’s smile was scarier than anything Rin has ever done when he said, “Oh, we sure will. Be careful, okay?”_

_Kei shiver. “Um. Sure. Goodbye.”_

_(Hinata asks him where he was as soon as he arrives, and Kei says “weirdos kidnapped me”._

_“What?! You were kidnapped?!”  
_

_“I’ll tell you all about it over dinner,” he says. “My treat.”  
_

_“…What? Really?”  
_

_“Yeah. It’s a date.”  
_

_Hinata’s eyes widen. “Oh! Ohhh! Okay! I’ll go!”)_


	149. dragon rin ficlet [nagirin]

_Rin doesn’t mean to do it._

_He doesn’t even think of it until he’s done it. He thinks the actions are mostly instinctive, his dragon senses overtaking any common sense he has as a prince. He doesn’t notice it until Sousuke is smirking at him, until Momo is rejoicing, until Nitori is scolding him about being reckless._

_Nagisa Hazuki sits atop his hoard of books and scrolls._

_“Your instincts are telling you I’m yours?” he asks, playfully but with that edge of understanding he always has when it comes to serious matters. His eyes are shining with mischievousness but underneath it is that wisdom he tries so hard to conceal.  
_

_Rin’s hoard is composed of books and scrolls and diagrams. Anything that contains knowledge that no one else has. He collects rare artefacts and lost knowledge._

_Nagisa’s eyes are treasures that see beyond any façade Rin puts up._

_Nagisa’s hands are treasures that know exactly where to touch to soothe Rin’s starving soul._

_Nagisa is a treasure, and Rin wants to keep him._


	150. nagisa asks rin about haru [nagirin]

Nagisa and Rin are sitting by the bay and looking at the water when Nagisa finally speaks up. It’s weird when Nagisa is quiet, but Rin knows he’s gearing up to say something, so he’s let it slip without commenting on it.

“You know,” Nagisa says, “you can call him when you’re lonely. It’s not a sin to call your boyfriend.”

“What?”

“It was obvious you miss him.” Nagisa pokes his arm, smiling teasingly. “And he always carries his phone with him now, you know? It’s not like he’ll miss your message if you send him one.”

“I don’t have anything to say,” Rin says, looking away. He doesn’t say it’s difficult to find words when they’re away, that words come easily when he’s looking at Haruka in the eyes but being away gives a certain weight to their interactions. He doesn’t say that it all comes out anyway, when they’re together in the same place. He doesn’t say that seeing Haruka’s name in his phone will only make him miss Haruka more.

But it’s Nagisa, so he hears all of that anyway.

“If he’s here, right now, what would you want to tell him?” he asks.

Rin smiles and looks up at the sky. “That the sky is beautiful, and they remind me of his eyes.”

Nagisa laughs. “So romantic~”

“Shut up.”

“You better tell him that, when you see him next time.”

“Like you won’t let it slip before then?”

Nagisa grins. “I’ll let you see his expression the first time he hears you say that. I’m sure it’ll be a good one.”

Rin stares up at the sky and imagines Haruka’s smile when he tells him this. It’ll probably be better, be more beautiful than this star-filled sky.


	151. idol rin's birthday twitter fic

  **Zaki** ♥ @MakosVocals ･ 45m

It's February 2, and you know what that means!

 **Zaki** ♥ @MakosVocals ･ 42m

We're doing the Rin Love Event this year, too. Join us at Style5.livejournal.com :)

 **Zaki♥** @MakosVocals ･ 41m

Even if you don't have fanworks to share, we'd love to talk to you about how much you love our shoujo prince!

 **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 35m

I've got a fanvid up at Style5 lj, so come join us!!!

 **Momocchi**  @pyunsukez ･ 34m

ahhhhh yes!!!! please look at nitori-senpai's fanvid!!!!!!!! it's so good!!!!!!!

 **better than you💪** @styleisuzu ･ 34m

.@pyunsukez cried at @rinsaccent's video :')

> **Momocchi** @pyunsukez ･ 32m
> 
> @styleisuzu Matsuoka-san's arms :')
> 
> **better than you💪** @styleisuzu ･ 32m
> 
> @pyunsukez Matsuoka-san's cleavage :')

\---

 **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 30m

I wanna join the Rin Love Event, too :(

 **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 29m

I love Rin-chan the most! He's good at singing and dancing and composing and being cool!

 **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 29m

I'm Rin-chan's NUMBER ONE (#1) FAN!!!

> **rin protection squad**  @transfive ･ 28m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki we know
> 
> **Zaki** **♥**  @MakosVocals ･ 28m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki You're welcome to join us if you have a secret livejournal account ;)
> 
>   .
> 
> **better than you **💪**** @styleisuzu ･ 27m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki if we let you join, you'll steal our thunder
> 
> **better than you ** **💪******  @styleisuzu ･ 27m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki plus i'm p sure @rinsaccent is Rin's number one fan, so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 27m
> 
> @styleisuzu :O
> 
> **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 26m
> 
> @styleisuzu omg why would you say that :O
> 
> **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 26m
> 
> @styleisuzu i wanna be supportive, but... babe no
> 
> **Momocchi** @pyunsukez ･ 26m
> 
> @styleisuzu I agree, but...
> 
> **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 25m
> 
> @styleisuzu please don't rope me into this!
> 
> **Your Mom** ™ @shiina_akane ･ 24m
> 
> @styleisuzu Today is supposed to be a peaceful day, Isuzu. please.

 .

 **flowerin' chigusa** @blooming6th ･ 24m

Can we all just agree that Rin Matsuoka is god's gift to us and that his tears are worth more than diamonds?

> **pudge rights activist** @genderles5 ･ 24m
> 
> @blooming6th agreed
> 
> **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 23m
> 
> @blooming6th this is a fact
> 
> **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 23m
> 
> @blooming6th His tears are our fandom's currency.
> 
> **Your Mom™** @shiina_akane ･ 22m
> 
> @blooming6th He is the greatest gift we were ever given.

\---

 **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 20m

No joke, though. I WILL fight for my crown as #1 Rin Fan.

> **better than you **💪****  @styleisuzu ･ 19m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki do you really need that crown if you're already #1 in Rin's heart?
> 
> **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 19m
> 
> @styleisuzu I like you. You can stay.
> 
> **better than you **💪****  @styleisuzu ･ 18m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki thanks. I'm only sayin', @rinsaccent won today with their fanvideo, so you should share
> 
> **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 18m
> 
> @styleisuzu That's fair. @rinsaccent I'll share the crown if you link me to the video.
> 
> **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 18m
> 
> @styleisuzu you are so great and i love you
> 
> **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 16m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki bit.ly/AkWr78
> 
> **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 8m
> 
> @rinsaccent  o(╥﹏╥)o you deserve the crown.
> 
> **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 8m
> 
> @rinsaccent This is beautiful. I'll show this to Rin-chan! He'll cry.

\--

 **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 15m

Isuzu is absolutely ridiculous but she is the most powerful person in the universe

 **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 7m

IM???

 **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 7m

WATCH ME DIE

 **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 7m

THIS IS GOING TO BE EMBARRASSING OR BEAUTIFUL OR BOTH

> **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 6m
> 
> @rinsaccent definitely both
> 
> **better than you **💪****  @styleisuzu ･ 6m
> 
> @rinaccent you're welcome
> 
> **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 5m
> 
> @transfive kou.... you are the luckiest girl in the world
> 
> **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 5m
> 
> @rinsaccent I know <3

\--

 **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 5m

babe <3 @styleisuzu

 ** **better than you**** 💪 @styleisuzu ･ 5m

@transfive <3333333

\--

 **Rin Matsuoka** @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 4m

I am the luckiest man in the world to have all of you.

 **Rin Matsuoka** @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 4m

I feel blessed, knowing that I have your support and love. Thank you for staying by my side.

 **Rin Matsuoka** @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 4m

The only thing I can give back is my promise to do everything I can to make you happy, too.

 **Rin Matsuoka** @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 4m

The same way you make me feel.

\--

 **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 3m

Rin Matsuoka is the most precious most important most beautiful man

 **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 3m

And I will never stop loving him

 **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 3m

I love him so much

 ** **better than you**** 💪 @styleisuzu ･ 3m

If I weren't a raging lesbian, I'd be in love with him

 ** **better than you**** 💪 @styleisuzu ･ 3m

As it is, I'm halfway in love tbh

> **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 2m
> 
> @styleisuzu the most relatable feel

**Your Mom™** @shiina_akane ･ 2m

Sometimes I feel so out of place in this fandom filled with young girls, but today we are one

 **Your Mom™** @shiina_akane ･ 2m

Rin has the power to make everyone's heart harmonise, like how he did with Style5

> **Zaki **♥****  @MakosVocals ･ 2m
> 
> @shiina_akane that is so profound and true

**Zaki ** **♥******  @MakosVocals ･ 2m

@RinMatsuoka You are the best leader and idol we can ever ask for. Thank you for always making us smile.

* * *

 **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 45m

Good evening! He did cry! twitpic.com/4TghL

 **Rin Matsuoka** @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 43m

It's my birthday. @NagisaHazuki isn't allowed to do this.

> ****better than you**** 💪 @styleisuzu ･ 40m
> 
> @RinMatsuoka block him
> 
> **pudge rights activist** @genderles5 ･ 39m
> 
> @RinMatsuoka block him
> 
> **rin protection squad** @transfive ･ 38m
> 
> @RinMatsuoka block him

**Rin Matsuoka** @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 30m

You're all the best :)

\---

 **flowerin' chigusa** @blooming6th ･ 30m

Okay, but who sent you a birthday greeting first, @RinMatsuoka? Was it Nagisa?

 **flowerin' chigusa**  @blooming6th ･ 30m

Because if it's not!! Then Nagisa really lost today.

-

 **Rin Matsuoka**  @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 29m

I can't believe you're all asking me this. Obviously, @MakotoTachibana was the first person to text me. At exactly midnight.

 **rin protection squad** @trans5 ･ 28m

Honestly????? we should have seen this coming

 **Zaki **♥****  @MakosVocals ･ 28m

Rin is a chaos god

 **Zaki **♥****  @MakosVocals ･ 28m

us: nagirin yes??

rin: actually,,, makorin

 **Zaki **♥****  @MakosVocals ･ 27m

To be fair, Makoto IS perfect and the sweetest boy on earth so this is to be expected

 **flowerin' chigusa** @blooming6th ･ 24m

Hey @RinMatsuoka did Haru at least send you something? please,,, my crops,,, they are dying

> **Rin Matsuoka**  @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 22m
> 
> @blooming6th We went jogging this morning and he cooked me breakfast :)

-

 **flowerin' chigusa**  @blooming6th ･ 21m

BURY ME IN THESE FEELINGS

 **flowerin' chigusa**  @blooming6th ･ 21m

IS IT HIS BIRTHDAY OR IS IT MY FUNERAL we just don't know!!!!

 **flowerin' chigusa**  @blooming6th ･ 20m

harurin are uhhhhh married

-

 **Your Mom™** @shiina_akane ･ 20m

@RinMatsuoka You might as well bless the Rei fans as well

> **Rin Matsuoka** @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 15m
> 
> @shiina_akane Can't really bless them more than Rei's blessed me today
> 
> **Your Mom™** @shiina_akane ･ 20m
> 
> @RinMatsuoka You're just making us more curious!!! What does that mean!!!!

-

 **Nagisa Hazuki** @NagisaHazuki ✓ ･ 15m

In my defense, I didn't need to send a message.

> **Zaki **♥****  @MakosVocals ･ 14m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki What? does? this? mean?
> 
> ****better than you**** 💪 @styleisuzu ･ 14m
> 
> @NagisaHazuki you were together at midnight? scandalous

\--

 **Zaki **♥****  @MakosVocals ･ 14m

My theory is Nagisa slept over, to claim his rightful spot. Haruka came over in the morning. Rei...... what did rei do

 **Matsuoka is King** @rinsaccent ･ 14m

King of fanservice!!!

 **flowerin' chigusa** @blooming6th ･ 14m

I'm this close to saying they did an **** for Rin's birthday

> **Momocchi**  @pyunsukez ･ 13m
> 
> @blooming6th ??
> 
> **flowerin' chigusa** @blooming6th ･ 12m
> 
> @pyunsukez a uhhhhhhh game. they did a game. yeah.
> 
> **Momocchi** @pyunsukez ･ 11m
> 
> @blooming6th what kind of game?
> 
> ****better than you**** 💪 @styleisuzu ･ 10m
> 
> @pyunsukez @blooming6th We'll tell you when you're older.

* * *

**Rin Matsuoka**  @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 20m

Now that the day is almost over, I'd like to thank you all again for your greetings.

 **Rin Matsuoka**  @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 20m

Thank you for your support and love. You made today special.

 **Rin Matsuoka**  @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 19m

And for my group members: you are the best people a guy could ask for.

 **Rin Matsuoka**  @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 18m

You make me feel whole. You make me feel superhuman. With you, I feel like I can do anything.

 **Rin Matsuoka**  @RinMatsuoka ✓ ･ 18m

You know what I wish every year on my birthday. Thank you for making it come true.

 


End file.
